CANBERRA’S sixth confirmed covid case, a 14-year-old student at Gold Creek School, Gungahlin, is a mystery to ACT Health officials and has not been linked to the other five active cases.

The sixth case was reported after ACT Health’s daily 9am reporting deadline.

ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman says the student was infectious at school from Monday, August 9, to Wednesday, August, 11.

“We are communicating very closely with the school community and are treating all staff and students who were at the Gold Creek School from Monday, August 9, to Wednesday, August 11, as close contacts,” she said. 

“This means that these individuals will need to go into quarantine immediately for 14 days and do what we’ve been asking everyone who is identified as a close contact to do, which is get tested and complete our online declaration form. 

“Because this is so serious we are also identifying household contacts as secondary contacts and at this stage the household contacts will also need to quarantine.”

As the Gold Creek School has two campuses – a senior and junior campus – as well as an out of school hours care program, an early childhood centre, Nicholls Early Childhood Centre, and shares facilities with the Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School, Dr Coleman has declared visitors, staff, students and families, as well as workers that were working on a construction site at one of the schools, secondary contacts. 

They are required to get tested and immediately quarantine.

Education Minister Yvette Berry says the Education Directorate will be contacting impacted staff and families today.

The other four cases are all linked to the initial covid case, a Gungahlin man in his 20s.

More than 3900 people have been identified through the Check In Canberra app as either close or casual contacts, with 1861 of those people said to be close contacts associated to the outbreak. 

The toll continues to rise and is expected to continue to rise, according to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.