COVID-19: ACT records 1063 new daily cases, 49 in hospital

The ACT reported 1063 new infections in the latest reporting period taking the territory's pandemic case tally to 75,421.

A new six-week peak of 49 people in Canberra hospitals with COVID has been recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday, including four people in intensive care and none under ventilation. Previously, the ACT reported 49 people in hospital on February 15.

This comes after hospitalisations rose to a month-long high with 46 people requiring specialised care in the ACT to 8pm Sunday.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections in schools have remained steady with 1501 cases recorded in 126 schools last week. The previous week there were 1531 infections across ACT public and private schools.

The ACT now has 5972 active cases of coronavirus, up from the 5491 reported on Monday. Of the new cases, 464 were reported through PCR tests and 599 via rapid tests.

The BA.2 Omicron sub-lineage is likely the most dominant strain in the territory. The ACT's weekly epidemiological report said the sub-lineage was identified as 82 per cent of all sequenced cases in the territory last week.

Due to system delays vaccination data from ACT Health is currently unavailable.

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Health authorities in the ACT will begin providing more information about COVID-19 cases in the ACT, including issuing a weekly report on the vaccination status of hospitalised cases.

Daily updates in the territory will also include an age-range breakdown for positive cases from later this week, with the ACT finally moving to provide information more in line with other states.

A more detailed epidemiological update will be released weekly, which is set to include information on vaccination status and whether people remain in hospital after being cleared of their COVID-19 infection.

The changes come after The Canberra Times reported health officials had misled the public over why they blocked the release of COVID-19 patient comorbidity data despite knowing it was "an important part of the picture".

NSW has recorded 21,494 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths in the 24 hours to 4pm.

There are 1,283 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 53 in ICU.

Hospitalisation numbers are up on yesterday, when 1,270 patients were being cared for with 55 in ICU.

Of the new cases, 15,089 came from positive rapid antigen tests while 6,405 came from PCR testing.

Victoria's opposition leader will isolate for a week after his son tested positive for COVID-19, one day after Premier Daniel Andrews returned a positive result.

Liberal leader Matthew Guy said one of his sons had tested positive, making him a close contact who would need to isolate for seven days.

Mr Andrews is also spending a week in isolation after he tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test on Monday. He said his symptoms were mild.

Victoria recorded 10,916 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and another five deaths.

There are 284 virus patients in the state's hospitals, an increase of 32 from Monday's figures, with 33 in ICU and six on ventilators.

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