Canberrans more at risk from COVID-19 consider upping personal precautions as number of cases back on the rise in ACT – ABC News

Pamela Tomlinson became "a hermit" during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccinations became available.

"I wouldn't leave the house, and was quite cautious about going out in public," she said.

Now she is back working in the office five days a week, but with all COVID restrictions lifted, that does notmean she's stopped taking her own precautions against the disease.

Ms Tomlinson has an autoimmune condition, which makes her more likely to catch COVID-19.

"I still do check those [weekly] COVID numbers," she said.

"I have a lot of faith in the people that are much smarter than I am to make sure that the vaccinations are still going to protect us to some degree, and that's part of just making sure I'm on top of that."

Ms Tomlinson said if the cases in Canberra continued to go up,she wouldincrease her own personal protections in order to avoid the disease.

"[I'll] pop on a mask when I'm out in public, and maybe the office, and just keep monitoring the severity of the cases that are in the public," she said.

The ACT's reported weekly COVID-19 case numbers have more than doubled, compared to ACT Health's figures from a month ago.

More than 480 cases were reported in the week until November 3, with the death of one woman in her 70s also reported during that period.

One month earlier, there were about170 cases reported across the week.

Most cases are detected on rapid antigen tests (RATs) and it has not been mandatory to report a positive COVID-19 testto health authorities for some time.

But Canberrans have been urged to register positive results via the ACT government's COVID-19 website to help authorities monitor the scale of infection in the community.

As Canberra's case numbers appear to be rising, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith urged people to "be considerate of others, kind and thoughtful".

"If you're going into an environment where you think you might be coming into contact with people who are immunocompromised, so a hospital for example, please do a rapid antigen test and check you haven't got COVID unknowingly," she said

Ms Stephen-Smith said people should get up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, stay home if they are sick, and wear a mask if they will be around vulnerable people.

"And when you're out and about, maintain your cough and hand hygiene," she said.

Ms Stephen-Smith said although COVID-19 restrictions hadbeen wound back for some time, health facilities have continued to monitor the impacts of the virus to assess "whether they do need to reintroduce mask requirements or requirements to test before you visit".

The government said it was not considering wider public health restrictions.

Head of policy for disability support organisation Advocacy for Inclusion, Craig Wallace, saidhe would like to see the government roll out an education campaign to remind the broader community that older or immunocompromised people remained disproportionately at risk.

He said placing the burden of COVID precautions on these at-riskindividuals couldhave horrendous impacts on them.

"I'm hearing frompeople with disabilities who are contemplating taking out their own teeth that they haven't seen a dentist in four years," he said.

"I haven't seen a dentist in five years, and that's because I judge the risk to be too great."

Mr Wallace also said some vulnerable Canberrans who were choosing to wear a mask in public hadexperienced hostility from others.

"We're now in this bizarre situation where, not only are vulnerable people feeling like they're excluded from the community, [they] are being actively harassed and vilified for taking pretty sensible precautions against what is a pretty nasty infection."

Mr Wallace has called for compassion, imploring the public to better consider the plight of "the most vulnerable people in these circumstances, which are older people and those with disabilities".

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Canberrans more at risk from COVID-19 consider upping personal precautions as number of cases back on the rise in ACT - ABC News