Virus cases rise as mandatory reporting ends
![The ACT has announced an end to mandatory RAT reporting, the last state or territory to do so.](https://wp.thenewdaily.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1639996232-Rapid-Antigen-Test.jpg?resize=1313,876&quality=90)
The ACT has announced an end to mandatory RAT reporting, the last state or territory to do so. Photo: AAP
National COVID-19 cases have risen slightly in the final week before mandatory reporting of positive cases comes to an end in Australia.
The ACT government on Thursday confirmed it would remove its requirement for residents to disclose COVID-19 infection.
From Tuesday, people living in Canberra will no longer have to report their positive test to ACT Health, although they are still strongly encouraged to do so.
The ACT is the final state or territory to remove mandatory reporting.
It comes as the latest federal health department data shows a slight increase in average daily COVID-19 infections.
The national average rose to 2618 daily cases in the week to Friday, up by 1.2 per cent on the previous week.
The largest jump in cases was in Tasmania, where the daily average rose by 34.3 per cent.
That was followed by the ACT, where there was a 8.3 per cent jump.
Victoria and Queensland were the only jurisdictions to record a decline in infections, dropping 8.7 per cent and 4.2 per cent respectively.
Weekly virus figures:
Victoria: 3052 cases, 33 deaths
NSW: 6545 cases, 47 deaths
Queensland: 3950 cases, 26 deaths
Northern Territory: 106 cases, no deaths
Western Australia: 2278 cases, two deaths
ACT: 525 cases, no deaths
South Australia: 1777 cases, no deaths
– AAP