Chief health officer Kerryn Coleman announces new ACT COVID exposure definitions

In order to cope with the possible high demand, Canberra hospitals will no longer isolate COVID-19 patients, and most patients will be required to wear masks.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the modelling forecast between 19 and 60 hospitalisations and between seven to 10 ICU patients from next week.

"[Canberra] hospitals have already started seeing people coming in for a non-COVID related illness or accident who have a COVID-19 infection," she said.

"Going forward, only COVID patients with respiratory symptoms will be cared for in a designated COVID ward or area. Other patients including those with mild or asymptomatic COVID will be cared for in the most appropriate ward for their condition.

"For example, a person presenting with a broken bone who happens to have mild COVID-19 will be cared for in a surgical ward."

Ms Stephen-Smith said "all patient and public-facing team members" will wear P2/N95 masks and maintain hand hygiene.

Patients in "shared environments" will be required to wear surgical masks, unless they are unable to tolerate them. Visitors will also have to wear masks.

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There will be a separate ward for the most vulnerable people in hospital, including the immunocompromised and unvaccinated. The first wards for vulnerable patients will open later this week.

New restrictions mean visitors must have an exemption, outpatient appointments will be conducted virtually where possible and immunocompromised healthcare workers will be redeployed.

The Garran surge centre will be transformed into a dedicated clinic for COVID-19 positive Canberrans, to open on Monday 10. It will operate from 7.30am to 10pm everyday, no appointments needed, from the northern end of the surge centre with a separate entrance.

Testing for COVID will continue to operate at the southern end of the facility, said Ms Stephen-Smith.

The inner-north walk-in testing centre at Dickson will close at 10pm on Sunday, January 9 to redeploy staff.

ACT Health has announced it will no longer categorise COVID contacts as close or casual. Instead it will focus on people self-identifying whether they are a high, moderate or low exposure risk.

Chief health officer Kerryn Coleman outlined the new definitions in a press conference on Wednesday.

She said people classified as high risk would have spent a significant amount of time with a COVID-positive person. This is similar to a household contact.

People with a high exposure risk will be required to isolate for seven days, undertake a PCR test as soon as possible and to take a rapid test on day six.

Moderate exposure does not require people to isolate, instead they will need to complete a rapid test as soon as possible and another on day six. The chief health officer said a medium exposure included people who has spent "some time" with a positive case such as "dinner at the pub".

People classified as low risk will be asked to be vigilant for symptoms.

"Those diagnosed with COVID-19 must continue to follow the public health directions, you must isolate for seven days from the date you were confirmed positive, and you must be cleared before leaving isolation," Dr Coleman said.

"You also must now notify your household contacts. We are also asking you to please notify any social contacts that you've had in the two days prior to developing symptoms or testing positive."

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Dr Coleman said that rapid tests were "currently really difficult to get access to" and people would still be able to get a free PCR test.

She said the new categories would enable ACT Health "to focus our effort in public health where they are needed most".

"[We need to] balance the needs of the community," Dr Coleman said.

In addition, ACT Health will move move focus away from daily cases to vaccination and hospitalisation rates as of January 12.

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