COVID-19: A man in his 80s has died with COVID in the ACT

The ACT has recorded 1200 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday. The total number of active cases in the territory has now reached 5824.

Those aged 25-39 had the highest instance of new infections, making up 34 per cent of cases in the latest reporting period.

This was followed by the 18-24 demographic, which made up 14 per cent of new cases.

It follows two days of case numbers over 1000, with hospitalisations increasing from midweek.

There were 55 people in Canberra hospitals with coronavirus in the latest reporting period, including three people in intensive care and two requiring ventilation.

The most recent caseload has been reported during a period of considerable strain on ACT health services.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has revealed around 150-160 health workers have been off at any one time over the past few months.

Ms Stephen-Smith said the cumulative impact on hospitals over a period of time had been really significant.

"We absolutely recognise that this is creating workload pressures for the other staff who are picking up extra shifts or who are working on wards where they are short-staffed," Ms Stephen-Smith said on Thursday.

She said the projection of a relatively stable and slowly declining set of case numbers could be affected by public schools breaking up this week.

"Going into the school holidays that's going to change the dynamics in terms of the way that our communities are moving around," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

Education Minister Yvette Berry said on Friday that term one had been a school term like no other.

She said many families and schools had a difficult time managing the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 at home and at school.

"We truly appreciate all the work that everyone has put in," Ms Berry said.

Eight people died with coronavirus in NSW in the last reporting period, with 20,396 new cases in the 24 hours to 4pm on Thursday.

There are now 1435 COVID-19 patients in hospital in the state, with 44 people in intensive care.

Queensland has recorded nine COVID deaths and 10,092 new infections in the last reporting period.

There was four deaths reported in Victoria in the last reporting period, with 335 people in hospital, including 12 in intensive care.

Victoria recorded 11,192 new cases of the virus.

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