COVID-19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory

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COVID-19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationAustralian Capital Territory, Australia
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Confirmed cases124
Active cases0
Hospitalised cases0
Recovered121
Deaths
3
Fatality rate2.42%
Government website
www.covid19.act.gov.au

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Timeline[edit]

2020[edit]

Canberra Avenue during what would usually be the morning peak hour in May 2020

On 16 March 2020, the ACT government declared a public health emergency.[1] All visits to the Alexander Maconochie prison were cancelled from 23 March, but there was "increased access to telephones" for prisoners to keep in touch with their families.[2]

On 18 July 2020, it was announced a sitting of Federal Parliament, scheduled for the first 2 weeks of August, had been cancelled. Medical advice was that, due to increased transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria, and the upward trend in NSW as well, there was a "significant risk" if members were to return to Canberra from all over Australia. Prime Minister Morrison requested that the sitting be cancelled. Parliament returned in August with some Members and Senators participating via video links from remote locations.[3]

On 9 September 2020 in Canberra, the "Check in CBR" sign-in/contact tracing app was introduced.[4]

ChooseCBR vouchers

In late November the ACT government announced the "ChooseCBR" electronic voucher discount scheme to help stimulate local businesses suffering economically from the "coronavirus recession". Residents could receive several renewable vouchers worth up to A$40 per day.[5] Due to slow take up the scheme was extended a few days from 21 December to Christmas Eve. About 40,000 people had signed up, but less than A$150,000 of A$500,000 allocated had been claimed as of midday that day.[6]

In May 2021 an expanded ChooseCBR scheme was announced. Bigger discounts were offered and more money, A$2 million, was allocated.[7] The new scheme proved popular when launched on 9 June, but its' website crashed and the scheme was suspended a week. In the two days it operated, over A$300,000 had been claimed, 10 times that claimed in the December 2020 trial.[8]

2021[edit]

On 31 January 2021, Federal politicians flying in from Western Australia had to quarantine for five days when a sudden lockdown was declared in Perth and two adjoining regions. Parliament is scheduled to resume on 2 February.[9]

On 17 February 2021, the Australian Capital Territorys' public health emergency declaration was extended 90 days to 18 May 2021. Every three months during the pandemic, the ACT government has lengthened the public health emergency.[10]

On 22 February 2021, the first Canberran received a COVID-19 vaccination. She was a 22-year-old registered nurse, and a member of a COVID-19 testing team.[11]

Event cancellations[edit]

  • The 2020 Australian Defence Force Academy open day was replaced by an on-line event.[12] The 2021 open day is scheduled for 21 August.[13]
  • The Floriade 2020 event, scheduled for 12 September to 11 October, at Commonwealth Park was cancelled in April.[14] The one million bulbs and annuals that would have been on display there were distributed over 130 different sites to create a Tulip Trail through Canberra as Floriade: Reimagined.[15]
  • The 2020 National Folk Festival was cancelled.[16] In 2021 a scaled-down 2-day version titled "Good Folk", was held over the border in Queanbeyan, NSW on the weekend of 3–4 April.[17]
  • Skyfire, a fireworks show normally held in March, was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the 2021 show was also cancelled due to the pandemic in Australia.[18]
  • Summernats 2021 was cancelled in October 2020. The reason for cancellation was that the venue, Exhibition Park in Canberra, was being used as a COVID-19 testing station. The smaller "Summernats Rev Rock ‘n’ Roll" event was then scheduled to be held on 5-7 March 2021,[19] but on 13 January 2021 that too was cancelled.[20]
  • The Royal Canberra Show 2021 was cancelled in November 2020.[21]
  • In November 2020, the 2021 National Multicultural Festival, was postponed from its usual February dates to "... by late 2021".[22] In early 2021 the Festival for that year was cancelled entirely. It is planned to be held next on 18–20 February 2022, it's 25th anniversary.[23]
  • Canberra's New Year's Eve fireworks at the end of 2020 were cancelled.[24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Public Health Emergency declared for ACT". cmtedd.act.gov.au. ACT Government. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020. The ACT Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith has declared a Public Health Emergency in response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation across Australia
  2. ^ "Canberra coronavirus cases increase as Health Minister halts prison visits". ABC News. 21 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  3. ^ Borys, Stephanie; Macmillan, Jade (17 July 2020). "Coronavirus crisis forces fortnight Federal Parliament sitting to be cancelled". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  4. ^ Lewis, Kathryn (9 September 2020). "CACT Health launch contact tracing app to streamline process for business and patrons". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  5. ^ Hayne, Jordan (23 November 2020). "Canberrans get daily vouchers to spend on restaurants and shops". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  6. ^ Crowe, Alex (19 December 2020). "Choose CBR voucher initiative extended, Tara Cheyne announces". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  7. ^ Mannheim, Markus (18 May 2021). "ACT government offers bigger discounts for local shoppers under expanded ChooseCBR voucher scheme". ABC Radio Canberra. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  8. ^ Samaras, Denholm (10 June 2021). "ChooseCBR website down for next week". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  9. ^ Henderson, Anna (31 January 2021). "Federal politicians ordered into five-day coronavirus quarantine in Canberra after jetting in from Perth". www.abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. ^ Morgan, Cassandra (17 February 2021). "Canberra public health emergency extended until May". The Grenfell Record. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 18 February 2021. The government has extended Canberra's public health emergency every three months throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The new 90-day extension will take Canberra up to May 18.
  11. ^ Vidot, Anna (23 February 2021). "Meet the nurse who received Canberra's first COVID vaccination". ABC Radio Canberra (Drive). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ^ Milne, Sandy (13 August 2020). "ADFA to host virtual Open Day in lieu of live event". www.defenceconnect.com.au. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Visiting ADFA – 21 August 2021 – ADFA Open Day". www.defence.gov.au. Department of Defence. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  14. ^ Brown, Andrew (1 April 2020). "Floriade 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Canberra-wide Tulip Trail leads Floriade: Reimagined". Canberra Weekly. Newstate Media. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  16. ^ "A STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL". National Folk Festival. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021. Given the current public health direction regarding non-essential gatherings, it is impossible and inadvisable to proceed with the Festival.
  17. ^ Bushnell, Ian (29 January 2021). "National Folk Festival turns to in-tune Queanbeyan for scaled-back, COVID-safe event". The RiotACT. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  18. ^ Brown, Andrew (23 November 2020). "Skyfire 2021 cancelled due to coronavirus". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 19 February 2021. ... the safety and health of the Canberra community was the priority. .... We have made the difficult, though responsible and sensible decision, to cancel for 2021... – Canberra FM Radio general manager, Craig Wagstaff
  19. ^ Samaras, Denholm (30 September 2020). "2021 Summernats festival delayed to January 2022". Canberra Weekly. Newstate Media. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Summernats Rare Spares Rev Rock 'n' Roll event cancelled due to COVID-19 uncertainty". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  21. ^ Vidot, Anna (2 December 2020). "2021 Royal Canberra Show cancelled". ABC Radio. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  22. ^ Kanapathippillai, Julia (27 November 2020). "National Multicultural Festival postponed due to COVID-19". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  23. ^ Bushnell, Ian (17 February 2021). "National Multicultural Festival cancelled for this year but will return in 2022". The RiotACT. Region Group Pty Ltd. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  24. ^ "How Australians marked New Year's Eve in a year dominated by COVID-19". ABC News. Australia. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021. Coronavirus restrictions have largely determined how millions of people across Australia have seen in 2021.
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