Garran Surge Centre to go as ACT government abandons COVID powers

The government will no longer be able to implement any public health directions in relation to COVID once the powers are dropped.

PCR testing will also no longer be available without a referral in the territory and it will not be mandatory for people to report a positive rapid antigen test to ACT Health.

The Garran Surge Centre will close next week and the government will begin the process of dismantling the pop-up hospital.

But this is expected to take some time and the government said there is no definitive timeline.

The centre was one of the last places in the territory to offer free PCR tests and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the centre had conducted more than 240,000 tests through the pandemic.

"The Garran Surge Centre has serviced the community well," she said

The $14 million centre was built in just 37 days on the Garran Oval in early 2020 and was intended to be an emergency department for COVID patients.

The centre was never used for this purpose, instead serving as a vaccination centre, a testing centre and a COVID-specific walk-in centre.

Ms Stephen-Smith has previously said the centre could be moved and repurposed elsewhere but the government has not indicated whether this is still the intention.

The centre will close on February 28 which is when the government will drop its COVID management declaration.

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The COVID-19 management laws passed the territory's parliament last year and replaced the public health emergency declaration which was in place for more than two years.

The laws gave government ministers the power to make decisions around certain public directions in relation to COVID.

But there is only one remaining declaration still in place, which is the mandatory requirement for people to report a positive rapid antigen test to ACT Health.

The territory was the only remaining Australian jurisdiction to have this requirement but the government will still encourage people to report positive results so authorities can monitor the COVID situation.

"This is a planned step in our ongoing public health response to COVID-19 as we transition to managing COVID-19 outside of emergency arrangements," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

"While our formal government emergency mechanisms are changing, the ACT government will continue to support Canberrans in practical ways and we encourage everyone to maintain their COVID smart behaviours."

Requirements for PCR testing will also be tightened. People in the territory will only be able to access a test through a referral.

Those with a concession card will be able to access a free test without a referral. Others will still need a referral. But free rapid antigen tests will be available from ACT libraries, health facilities and Access Canberra service centres.

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