Canberra breathes a sigh of relief after announcing just one new case - but authorities STILL don't know how a high school student who hasn't left the state or been to an exposure site got the virus
The ACT has recorded just one new Covid case on Saturday as health officials scramble to work out how a Canberra high school student contracted the virus despite not having a known link to any other infectious site or person.
On Saturday morning ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced Australia's capital had identified one case, bringing the territory's total active infections to seven.
Minister Barr confirmed the additional case was a close contact of a previous infection.
The ACT has recorded one locally acquired case that is linked to a previous Covid-19 infection
A record high of 4,500 tests were collected across the territory with an additional pop-up clinic set up specifically in relation to the Gold Creek Holy Spirit schools in Gungahlin.
'We appreciate that there is significant demand for testing. Yesterday at Exhibition Park a test was conducted every 45 seconds. We have increased capacity at Exhibition Park today and we anticipate the tests being able to be conducted every 30 seconds,' said Minister Barr.
During Saturday's press conference ACT Minister for Health Rachel Steven Smith took the opportunity to apologise over reports cars were turned away from a drive-in clinic after spending hours queuing for a test.
'Unfortunately there were quite a number of cars that had more than one person needing to be tested and that meant that there were just a few cars at the end of the day that had to be turned away,' Smith said.
'We apologise for that but it is also really important that we continue to look after our staff and continue to look after the public.'
The ramp up in testing comes as a 14-year-old student from Gold Creek School has left health authorities baffled on how the teen contracted the virus after no known links to exposure sites.
On Saturday ACT Minister for Health Rachel Steven Smith apologised over reports cars being turned away from a Covid-19 drive-in testing clinic
Urgent genomic testing is underway after the student attended the school in the capital's north, while infectious from Monday August 9 to Wednesday August 11.
The teenager had not travelled outside the territory or visited any of the listed exposure site venues in the ACT.
During Saturday's Covid-19 press conference chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said they are still investigating the Gold Creek student case.
'I am pleased that we locked down when we did. It was definitely the right decision and it has clearly reduced the risk to our community,' said ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr
'We have no further update, genomic sequencing is still being conducted' she said.
Despite the positive case ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr considered it good news for the territory but said they were taking it 'one day at a time.'
'I am pleased that we locked down when we did. It was definitely the right decision and it has clearly reduced the risk to our community, so that was absolutely thing to do,' he said.
A pop-up testing clinic has been set up in relation to the myster Covid-19 case of 14-year-old student from Gold Creek School with no known links to exposure sites
All students and teachers at the Golden Creek school are being treated as close contacts.
Students and staff at the Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School are being considered casual contacts, as they share some services and facilities with the neighbouring school.
With the ACT in lockdown until at least Thursday, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the territory would need to record no local cases before an end to the lockdown could be announced.
'The most important thing is what we can do ... over the weekend to ensure that we get to the close contacts, get them in isolation so that they are not a risk to people in the community.'
The ACT is in lockdown until at least Thursday, with Chief Minister Andrew Barr saying the territory would need to record no local cases before an end to the lockdown is in sight
There are almost 4000 close and casual contacts under investigation.
Mr Barr was frustrated at some ACT residents who left the city, mainly heading to the NSW south coast, ahead of the lockdown coming into force.
A 20-year-old Canberra man was charged with breaching coronavirus restrictions and assaulting police shortly after the lockdown began.
Police will be highly visible over the weekend in the ACT and NSW enforcing public health orders.
Faced with overwhelming demand for testing, the ACT government is bolstering staff at existing centres and opening sites at Gold Creek and Brindabella.
It is also seeking to reduce demand by asking Canberrans not to get tested unless they have symptoms or have been identified as a close contact by ACT Health.
Federal support has been made available to workers who lose hours and businesses forced to temporarily close.