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Latest information about novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the ACT
Please continue to check this page regularly for further updates.
On Tuesday 11 February 2020, the World Health Organization announced the official name for the new coronavirus disease as “COVID-19”. The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus and the D for disease.
COVID-19 causes a spectrum of illness including fever and/or respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, sore throat or shortness of breath). Most cases are mild. Currently, there is no specific treatment. There is evidence that it spreads from person to person, so good hygiene is important in preventing infection.
Please continue to check this page regularly for further updates.
Current status
27 February 2020, current as at 11:30 AM AEDT – Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Daylight Saving Time)
0 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the ACT
101 people tested negative so far
You can call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080 if you are seeking information on COVID-19. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
了解新型冠状病毒（正式名称：COVID-19）的详情可联络冠状病毒卫生信息热线（Coronavirus Health Information Line），电话：1800 020 080。热线每周7天，每天24小时开放工作。
我们还根据最新疫情防控和卫生建议，为首都特区（ACT）华人居民编制了中文资料和信息，可供下载。
The ACT Health Directorate is taking a highly precautionary approach to managing the spread of COVID-19, which is in line with the latest national health advice.
This advice is to isolate yourself if you are at risk of getting the virus based on the following:
If you have been in Hubei Province in the past 14 days, you need to isolate yourself for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province
If you have been in, or transited through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, you need to isolate yourself for 14 days after leaving mainland China
If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case, you need to isolate yourself for 14 days after your last contact with that person
You do not need to isolate yourself if you:
Left mainland China before 1 February 2020 and did not travel in Hubei Province
Have only travelled in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
The ACT Health Directorate has well established processes and procedures in place for the management of infectious diseases in the ACT. We are working in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and our state and territory counterparts to monitor and respond to the situation.
There is an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, which has so far mostly affected people who live in or who have visited mainland China, or those who have had close contact with sick people with the COVID-19 infection.
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can affect humans and animals. In humans, coronaviruses can cause mild illness, such as the common cold and gastrointestinal infections, as well as more severe illness, such as that caused by SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and respiratory symptoms, including cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress. Current estimates of the time it takes for symptoms to develop from when a person is infected (i.e. the incubation period) range from 2-14 days.
At this point in time, experts believe it’s likely that COVID-19 originated in an animal species, and then spread to humans.
COVID-19 can spread from person to person, but it is not yet understood how easily that occurs.
There is emerging information that some people may be infectious for a short period before they develop symptoms or have minor symptoms. While this is believed to be very uncommon, it does mean that close contacts of confirmed cases and recent travellers from mainland China, may be infectious before they develop obvious symptoms.
Other human COVID-19 strains can also be spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing or via contaminated hands from a person who is sick with the illness.
The ACT Health Directorate is taking a highly precautionary approach to managing the spread of COVID-19, which is in line with the latest national health advice. This advice is for young children, students and staff to isolate themselves if they’re risk of getting the virus based on the following:
If they have been in Hubei Province in the past 14 days, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province
If they have been in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after leaving mainland China
If they have been in close contact with a confirmed case, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after their last contact with that person
Students and staff DO NOT need to self-isolate if they:
Left mainland China before 1 February 2020 and did not travel in Hubei Province
Have only travelled in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
The ACT Health Directorate has well established processes and procedures in place for the management of infectious diseases in the ACT. We are working in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and our state and territory counterparts to monitor and respond to the situation.
The ACT Health Directorate is taking a highly precautionary approach to managing the spread of COVID-19, which is in line with the latest national health advice. This advice is for university students and university staff to isolate themselves if they’re risk of getting the virus based on the following:
If they have been in Hubei Province in the past 14 days, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after leaving Hubei Province
If they have been in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after leaving mainland China
If they have been in close contact with a confirmed case, they need to isolate themselves for 14 days after their last contact with that person
Students and staff DO NOT need to self-isolate if they:
Left mainland China before 1 February 2020 and did not travel in Hubei Province
Have only travelled in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
The ACT Health Directorate has well established processes and procedures in place for the management of infectious diseases in the ACT. We are working in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and our state and territory counterparts to monitor and respond to the situation.
Healthcare workers in ACT public hospitals as well as General Practitioners (GPs) across Canberra are well prepared with precautionary advice to assist them identify any suspected cases of this infection.
ACT health professionals will be updated regularly on the case definition for COVID-19, testing and infection control advice. Please refer to the Chief Health Officer Alerts, as well as for resources, to assist you in your clinical practice.
Being isolated at home means that you need to stay at home for the full period of 14 days.
This means you cannot go to:
work
school
public areas
You should not use:
public transportation
ride share or taxis
Visitors to the home should be discouraged.
If you are self-isolating but you need to leave your home for medical attention , you must call the Communicable Disease Control Information line on (02) 5124 9213 during business hours or (02) 9962 4155 after hours. This is so that appropriate and safe travel arrangements can be made for your arrival at the health service. This call must be made if you need to:
see your general practitioner;
go to an emergency department; or
see an alternative health practitioner like an actupuncturist or medicinal herbalist, such as Chinese medicine practitioners.
