A woman in her 70s has died with COVID-19 in the ACT as the territory matched its record for the number of people in hospital with the virus.
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There were 138 patients with the coronavirus in Canberra's hospitals on Friday night, matching a peak reached on July 1.
Five people were in intensive care and three people were receiving ventilation support.
Health authorities reported 1120 new cases on Saturday afternoon.
Eighty-two people have died with COVID-19 in the ACT since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Meanwhile, people who test positive for COVID-19 will have their post-infection isolation exemption period cut from 12 weeks to 28 days.
Australia's expert medical committee - made up of federal, state and territory chief health officers - has recommended anyone who tests positive to COVID-19 more than 28 days after ending isolation from a previous infection be reported and managed as a new case.
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ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman on Friday confirmed the new reinfection period would be in place in the territory from July 12.
A significant portion of people in hospital with COVID-19 are understood to be more than seven days from their initial positive test.
On Sunday, July 3, 40 per cent of hospitalised people with COVID-19 remained in hospital more than seven days after their positive test.
"Hospitalisations continue to be consistently highest in the 65+ age group despite being the age group with the lowest case rate. This highlights the increased risk of severe disease including hospitalisation in this older age group," ACT Health's weekly epidemiological report, released on Friday, said.
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