Page 2568 - Week 09 - Thursday, 16 September 2021

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version of the app now provides a direct notification if you have visited a site which has been identified as a COVID-19 exposure site.

The ACT government has also recently released the Check in CBR card to make it easier for people to check-in. The card is free and designed for those people who do not have a smartphone or who are unable to download and use the Check In CBR app. The card contains a unique QR code that can be scanned by the majority of businesses and venues in the ACT. This means that people can check-in more quickly and it provides a more private mechanism to check-in, as people do not have to verbally provide their personal details.

As of 14 September, more than 24,000 venues had registered with Check In CBR, more than 51 million people had checked in and the app had been downloaded 960,722 times. In addition, almost 6,500 Check In CBR cards have been requested.

As the Chief Minister has said, the ACT’s COVID-19 vaccination program is nation leading. The government’s priority is to ensure that the rollout progresses in an efficient, accessible and, above all, safe manner. Today we will reach a new benchmark, with 80 per cent of the ACT’s population aged 16 and over having received their first COVID-19 vaccination dose by the end of the day. More than half of our 12-plus population is fully vaccinated. Increased vaccine supply means that the ACT is well on track to give every Canberran over the age of 12 the opportunity to be fully vaccinated before the end of the year. We are aiming for more than 90 per cent vaccination coverage of all eligible Canberrans.

The recent spread of COVID-19 across the ACT has demonstrated that virus transmission remains persistent among the unvaccinated members of the community. The spread of the virus has highlighted the fact that there are many people living in our community who face barriers for accessing mainstream health services. These include people with disability, people for whom English is a second language and people living in insecure accommodation for whom every day can be a challenge.

While our ACT government vaccination clinics are successfully delivering about 25,000 COVID-19 doses each week, we are also focused on delivering more targeted, mobile and in-reach programs that are essential to reduce the risk of ongoing virus transmission among marginalised communities or population groups who, for very good reason, are less likely to engage in traditional mainstream health services.

I am pleased to report that 87 general practices and respiratory clinics across the ACT have been approved as commonwealth COVID-19 vaccine sites. These clinics are working to administer Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to eligible Canberrans. The commonwealth has also confirmed that, in the coming few weeks, up to 68 pharmacies across the ACT will receive supplies of the Moderna vaccine, which will substantially increase the territory’s vaccination capacity.

The ACT government has three mass vaccination clinics in operation. The Calvary Public Hospital clinic is administering the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the clinic at the Canberra Airport and the AIS mass vaccination clinic, which was opened on 2 September, are helping to deliver more Pfizer vaccinations to Canberrans. The


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