The ACT Chief Health Officer, Kerryn Coleman (pictured) has signed new Public Health Directions easing the restrictions on the COVID-19 pandemic and reminded the community of the dangers of easing restrictions too quickly.
“Through sheer hard work, and a little bit of luck, the ACT has been able to flatten the curve,” Dr Coleman said.
“We must not move too quickly if we want to maintain the very good position we find ourselves in,” she said.
“The public health control measures that have been in place in our community, and all over the country, have been highly successful in slowing the growth and limiting the spread of COVID-19 cases.”
Dr Coleman said many people and businesses wanted to know more about what influenced Government decisions on when and how to ease restrictions and how the public health risks were assessed.
“The evidence tells us that the movement and gathering of people who do not know each other are the greatest risk to outbreaks of an infectious disease like COVID-19,” she said.
“That’s why reopening of multiple businesses and facilities and recommencing social and sporting activities all at once, or moving too quickly, poses potential significant public health risks for our community.”
She said the Territory would need to consider re-implementing certain COVID-19 restrictions if there were new cases or a cluster of new cases of the virus.
Dr Coleman said that waiting for three to four weeks before further easing restrictions was good because it was one to two full incubation periods of the virus, which provided the Territory the ability to detect increased risk or case numbers.
