New COVID cases reported on Sunday have dropped by nearly 50 per cent compared with the second highest daily record only two days prior.
The territory recorded 945 new cases in the 24 hours until 8pm Saturday, compared with Friday's 1701 as reported by ACT Health. The largest daily increase was 1860 on January 1.
The latest data shows 134 people with COVID in hospital with five patients in the ICU and three on ventilation.
Of the new cases, 630 were from PCR tests and 315 from RATs.
The ACT's COVID death toll is 82, while the total number of cases recorded since March 2020 is almost 170,000.
The case reduction comes as ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr tested positive to COVID.
On Sunday, Mr Barr used social media to announce the news, saying his symptoms were mild and he was about to embark on at least seven days' isolation.
COVID-19 vaccinations
- Aged 5-11 years (1 dose): 80.6 per cent
- Aged 5-11 years (2 doses): 69.1 per cent
- Aged 5+ years (2 doses): 97.4 per cent
- Aged 16+ years (3 doses): 77.4 per cent
Around Australia
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has warned that cases would continue to rise this winter as the nation battles a third Omicron wave this year.
In addressing that concern, millions more people will be given access to anti-viral treatments starting Monday.
The increased access for the drugs Lagevrio and Paxlovid to all Australians over 70 years, or people with certain risk factors, comes as health authorities cite great concern about the current dominant subvariants in circulation and people over 30 years can get access to a fourth dose of a COVID vaccine.
"It's increasingly clear that they're able to evade the immunity that you might have got from having previously had COVID," he told reporters in Adelaide.
"We're seeing people who might only have had COVID several weeks ago being reinfected with BA.4 and BA.5."
NSW
- Deaths: 8
- New cases: 8670
- Hospitalisations: 1945
- ICU: 60
Victoria
- Deaths: 2
- New cases: 7934
- Hospitalisations: 671
- ICU: 32
- Ventilation: 4
Queensland
- Deaths: NA
- New cases: 4174
- Hospitalisations: 744
- ICU: 15
Tasmania
- New cases: 1355
- Hospitalisations: 93
- ICU: 4
Northern Territory
- New cases: 275
- Hospitalisations: 6
- ICU: 0
Western Australia
- WA no longer publishes daily updates
From July 2 - July 8
- Deaths: 16
- Active Cases: 32,200
- Hospitalisations: 242
- ICU: 11
South Australia
- SA no longer publishes daily updates
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