A.C.T students will learn from home for seven days after the Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced a snap lockdown.
The decision, announced in a 12.15pm press conference this afternoon, was made after a case of COVID-19’s Delta strain was detected and confirmed as being infectious whilst in the community.
The Territory has managed to avoid a positive case of COVID-19 for more than a year now. The last COVID-19 case the ACT recorded was in July 2020.
"From tomorrow, if you can keep your children at home, you must keep your children at home," ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said.
"If you are an essential worker, if you are experiencing vulnerability, or if for some other reason you can't keep your children at home, then your children can still attend the local public school."
Berry said public school teachers will spend this period of time moving and planning for and transitioning to remote education, should they be required after this initial lockdown period.
"This means that normal schooling won't happen during this week."
At this stage, it is unknown whether the new ACT COVID-19 case came from NSW, but the Delta variant has been detected in several regions far outside the Greater Sydney LGA where the latest outbreak was first detected on 16 June.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the Territory is facing its most serious public health situation in more than a year.
“The lessons we learned are that immediate and significant public health responses are needed to get ahead of the Delta strain,” Barr said.
“So, from tonight, Canberrans should only leave their homes for essential employment, healthcare, getting vaccinated, buying essential groceries and supplies, providing essential caregiving services, and getting one hour a day of exercise.”
The ACT case comes as NSW Health reported 345 cases, 219 of which were infectious whilst in the community.