ACT will go into lockdown for seven days after the territory recorded a positive case, as Queenslanders are warned not to cross the border into New South Wales.
People walk past a sign for a Covid-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney 27 June, 2021. Photo: AFP / Steven Saphore
A statement from Australia's Chief Minister's office said the confirmed case had tested positive to the virus and had been infectious in the community.
ACT has gone into a seven day lockdown tonight.
The statement said the source of the infection was not known, and that the new case represented the "most serious public health risk" the ACT had faced for 12 months.
There are now four community cases after a 27-year-old man visited several locations while infectious in recent days.
It had previously been 105 days since the last case in the ACT - a diplomat in quarantine - and over a year since the last locally acquired case.
Authorities in the Australian Capital Territory have said a swift lockdown is the best way to deal with the state's Covid-19 outbreak.
The state's Chief Minister Andrew Barr said acting fast and making tough decisions is key to preventing an outbreak from spiralling out of control.
"This is the best path to pursue to protect the health of the community and avoid even more damaging and prolonged lockdowns and even more significant economic consequences," he said.
NSW update
There have been two new Covid-19 related deaths and 345 new locally acquired cases in New South Wales, at least 60 of whom were infectious while in the community.
The two people who died were men in their 90s. One of them had been fully vaccinated, the other had had one jab.
The Sydney local government areas of Bayside, Burwood and Strathfield will be deemed "areas of concern", and be subjected to extra Covid-19 lockdown restrictions from 5pm today.
There are now 12 LGAs of concern in Sydney.
People in these LGAs must only obtain food or other goods and services, and exercise, within 5km of their home.
They cannot travel to other areas for work unless they are an authorised worker.
Victoria outbreak likely linked to a fresh "incursion" from New South Wales.
Victoria has recorded 21 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, 15 of whom have been in quarantine during their infectious period.
Authorities have also identified two cases which were acquired interstate.
Seventeen of the new local cases are linked to the current outbreaks.
The state processed 45,408 test results on Wednesday, when 25,418 vaccine doses were delivered at state-run sites.
On Wednesday, chief health officer Brett Sutton said it appeared increasingly likely that the current outbreak, which began with two mystery cases in Hobsons Bay and the City of Maribyrnong, was linked to a fresh "incursion" from New South Wales.
"We had identified and linked every single case right up until the day we got zero new cases," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"So to see these cases so soon after that and not to have a clear acquisition for them makes me think they're separate.
"It does seem to me that it was a separate incursion … and that it had been dribbling along without being tested, without being identified until it exploded into a school and other areas."
Ambulances diverted as outbreak sends medical staff into quarantine
There are more than 12,000 primary close contacts linked to the outbreak, which is concentrated in the Melbourne's west but reaches across the city.
Last night, Western Health said ambulances were directed away from Footscray and Sunshine hospital emergency departments, due to "Covid-19 exposure site related staff shortages".
The emergency departments remain open to the public for urgent medical care, the service said.
When asked about the issue on Wednesday, the Premier said furloughing healthcare staff was a necessary but difficult precaution to prevent an outbreak seeding in a hospital.
"I tell you what happens if we don't keep this lockdown on, as challenging as it is, as difficult as it is, we will just finish up overwhelmed," he said.
"It will be every hospital will be incredibly busy and people who have terrible accidents, people who have non-Covid-related emergencies won't get the care that they need. That's what we are trying to avoid."
Australian Medical Association Victorian president Roderick McRae said more "sophisticated" planning was needed from state and federal governments to ensure hospitals were not left short-staffed during outbreaks.
"It may involve having to keep a reserve staff on full pay, available to replace staff that we can see are going to be furloughed as a consequence of exposure to Covid-19," he said.
He also said planning should "work around" the knowledge that many of the hospital staff were well protected through full vaccination and personal protective equipment.
Queensland records 10 new cases
Queensland has recorded 10 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warns Queenslanders not to enter New South Wales.
All 10 cases are in home quarantine and are linked to the Delta cluster in South-East Queensland, which started at Indooroopilly State High School in Brisbane's west.
There are 15,334 people quarantining at home in Queensland, with 6,280 due to be released today, pending negative Covid-19 tests.
Palaszczuk said it was critical that the thousands of families under stay-at-home orders remained in quarantine for the 14 days and to check before leaving home.
"Just because you receive a negative test doesn't mean you can leave your home," Palaszczuk said.
"To all the people in home quarantine, you are heroes.
"We see whole households are testing positive to this Delta variant, so they have done a mighty job and I am proud.
"Thank you so much for what you are doing. If you weren't staying home, we don't know what could have happened."
'Do not go to NSW'
The Premier warned Queenslanders not to cross the border into New South Wales and said she would call local mayors today to reinforce the message.
"Of course, we have essential workers that have to, but now was not the time to cross the border to do your shopping," she said.
"What we are seeing now is more of these regional communities close to the Queensland border, especially out in the south-west area, are now going into a period of lockdown.
"We will be monitoring the situation extremely closely over the next 24 to 48 hours.
"We do not want to see this virus creeping north.
"If we have to implement harder measures, we will."
From midday anyone from South Australia will be able to leave quarantine, if they have received a negative test result.
The Premier said Queensland would only be receiving South Australian visitors by air, due to the growing outbreak in New South Wales.
- ABC
