The resurgence of COVID has accelerated with 50 people in Canberra Hospital suffering from the illness, according to the latest figures. One of the 50 was in intensive care.
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Across the ACT, there were just under 1000 new cases last week.
ACT Health said they had been notified of two COVID-19 related deaths last week. Both were women aged in their 70s.
Canberra Health Services chief executive Dave Peffer said the rising numbers meant some "very, very heavy lifting" at the hospital.
The burden on the hospital and its staff from COVID was exacerbated by flu.
He expected the pressure from the two viruses to continue through the winter.
The health authorities reported an outbreak of COVID on the hospital's general medicine ward a week ago when 12 patients and five staff tested positive to the coronavirus.
"Once an outbreak is declared, staff on the ward wear N95 masks in clinical spaces to minimise transmission. Air purifiers are also deployed, all patients are placed on a PCR testing schedule and all staff who work in the area are also offered a PCR test," a Canberra Health Services statement said.
The outbreak was declared on ward 7B, which is in Building 1.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith encouraged people to test before visiting people in hospital. They should mask up.
A mask requirement was dropped for Canberra Health Services staff in February, except in circumstances were staff provide direct patient care.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
