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Posted: 2020-04-30 03:48:22

The ACT has become the first Australian jurisdiction to be free of all known cases of COVID-19.

After a total of 106 diagnoses and three deaths in the ACT, Jan Stoop, the last Canberran to test positive to coronavirus, has recovered.

The Government confirmed that Mr Stoop's recovery meant there were no longer any known cases of coronavirus in the ACT.

Mr Stoop caught COVID-19 from his wife Irene after she returned from South Africa days before the international travel ban was announced.

"It's been quite a journey," Mr Stoop said.

Irene Stoop said when she was first diagnosed with coronavirus it felt like a "death sentence".

She was fatigued, and her own cooking became disgusting to her as she lost her senses of taste and smell.

But just as she began to recover, her husband fell ill.

"He got really sick," she said.

"I really struggled with fever … I went through three t-shirts a night," Mr Stoop added.

Though it was difficult for the pair, the Stoops said the silver lining was that ACT Health called every day to support them, and their local community pitched in to help.

The disease also meant the pair had not been able to see their children for several weeks.

Ms Stoop said she was looking forward to throwing a traditional barbeque with them to celebrate their recovery.

"I'm going to do a little bit of disinfecting of the house, and then I'm definitely going to have a real South African braai with my kids," she said.

Mr Stoop said people need to remain cautious, but not fearful of the disease.

"It's not a death sentence," he said.

Small victory, but pandemic continues

ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman welcomed the local elimination of the virus, but reiterated that the pandemic is ongoing.

"It is important to stress we should still protect the good work we have done," Dr Coleman said.

The ACT expanded testing last Friday to include anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of whether or not they had been in contact with someone who had the virus.

More than 8,600 tests have been conducted in the Territory, and Dr Coleman said Canberra is now in a position to test anybody with symptoms.

"I ask everyone who is showing symptoms, or believes they may have symptoms, to get tested as soon as possible at either the drive through testing facility at the EPIC Showground, at the walk-in clinic at Weston Creek, or by contacting their general practitioner," Dr Coleman said.

Dr Coleman said ACT Health believe that, while they may not be a driving force of the pandemic, there still may be "asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases" in the community.

"It's still really important to have an understanding about how much of the population has been infected in the past," she said.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Government were considering how they might begin to ease restrictions, but emphasised that it is "not a race".

"Some of the things we're thinking about are, 'What are low risk activities? What are some of the more important economic drivers as well?' Those are some of the things we are weighing up as we look at easing restrictions," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

"We will not be going back, even as we ease restrictions, to the situation we had in November or even January."

The fight to contain the coronavirus outbreak continues across the country, with more than 1,000 Australians still infected and 38 patients in intensive care units.

Health authorities in NSW confirmed two new coronavirus infections as they aim to complete 8,000 tests per day, and in Victoria, health authorities are investigating a new cluster of coronavirus cases at a Melbourne aged care facility.

The disease has killed 91 Australians.

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