Minister Barr: Further restriction easing postponed in the ACT
- Written by ACT Government
Released 23/07/2020
Following advice from the ACT Chief Health Officer, the ACT will not move forward with the implementation of stage 3 restrictions in the ACT for a further two weeks. The current restrictions as outlined in the ACT’s Easing of Restrictions roadmap will stay in place and will be assessed on a weekly basis.
So far, the ACT community has done an outstanding job in responding to the threat of COVID-19. It has allowed the Territory to carefully ease restrictions over the past few months without putting a strain on our health system.
We all know what the impact of going backwards will be on our economy, and with new cases being confirmed everyday across NSW, we need to be more cautious.
As at 4pm 22 July 2020 there are 630 people that are known to ACT Health in quarantine. We thank those people for doing the right thing and reducing the risk of the COVID-19 virus spreading in the ACT. 14 day quarantine isn’t easy, and ACT Health and ACT Police are continuing to monitor and assess these people.
The COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving, so it’s critical for all Canberrans to be mindful of where they are travelling, and who they are interacting with. The easiest way to avoid infection and reduce the risk of an outbreak in the ACT is to avoid any unnecessary travel outside of the Territory.
We are continuing to work with various industry partners on how the Government can continue to help protect local jobs during this time, and we will outline further economic stimulus initiatives in the weeks ahead.
ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said, while the ACT remains in a strong position, the situation in NSW still has the potential to impact the ACT.
“While there are currently some good signs coming out of NSW, it is still very early days,” Dr Coleman said.
“We need to continue to monitor the situation for a bit longer before we look to make any changes to ease restrictions in the ACT. This is to ensure we are in a good position to respond to cases here in the ACT should the need arise.”
“The next two weeks will also give us the opportunity to look at the learnings coming out of Victoria and NSW and review our Stage 3 restrictions to ensure these align with the latest health advice,” Dr Coleman said.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
