The ACT is on the verge of having half of its population aged 16 and older fully vaccinated, as Canberra confirms another 15 coronavirus infections.

All but two of Thursday’s locally acquired cases are linked and at least eight had been in the community for some of the time while infectious.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT would reach 50 per cent full vaccination coverage for residents aged 16 and over in the next 24 hours.

“In the simplest possible terms, the next eight weeks is a race to get as many people fully vaccinated as quickly as possible,” he said.

“As our vaccination rates increase, it is the government’s intention to make gradual steps forward to manage our current outbreak so that we will be able to ease public health restrictions.”

The next steps will be outlined on Tuesday.

Canberra’s lockdown is scheduled to run until Friday, September 17.

There are 227 cases active in the ACT and nine patients in hospital, two in intensive care including one person on a ventilator.

-AAP