The ACT will begin "actively looking" for community transmission of coronavirus in Canberra, allowing a random sample of ineligible people to be tested for COVID-19 each day.

Key points: There are now 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canberra, after four more were added to the tally

There are now 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canberra, after four more were added to the tally A random selection of people who do not meet testing criteria will be tested at two Canberra locations

A random selection of people who do not meet testing criteria will be tested at two Canberra locations One confirmed case remains under investigation due to its unknown origin

Announcing four more cases of COVID-19 in the ACT, chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said testing would be expanded, as fewer returning overseas travellers and close contacts were being tested each day.

From Monday, a random selection of people who present at Weston Creek Walk-In Centre and the drive-through facility set up at EPIC, but do not meet the testing criteria, will be tested anyway.

"We are able to do this because there is a decrease in demand for testing from returning travellers and known contacts of confirmed cases," Dr Coleman said.

"We are actively looking for evidence of community transmission in Canberra."

Currently the main groups tested are returned travellers and confirmed contacts of known cases that are showing symptoms — but other exceptions have now been made so that all symptomatic healthcare workers, and people who live in confined spaces like aged care homes, cruise ships and boarding schools can be tested.

Dr Coleman said it was not yet clear how many people would be included in the random sample, and said the decision was not an invitation for people who did not fit the testing criteria to show up at the centres.

"We already have a fair few people who are still presenting to the testing clinics, perhaps because they might not understand the testing criteria or they have concerns," she said.

"We have plenty of people already that we can randomly sample."

One of the ACT's 91 cases is not linked to overseas travel or known contact with a confirmed case, and has been under investigation for most of the week.

Dr Coleman said it was not known if it was an instance of community transmission, but cryptically suggested it was unlikely.

"Given the particular circumstances of the case, it is highly unlikely that the individual acquired the disease from an unknown member of the community," she said.

"But I cannot, however, rule out that this could be a community transmission at the moment.

"We're trying everything we can to see if we can identify where paths may have crossed."

Barr takes a swing at 'out of touch' real estate sector

The ACT Government yesterday announced more than $200 million in support measures for the local economy, including incentives for landlords to reduce rents for tenants affected by the current situation.

The policy would see the ACT Government give rates and land tax rebates to landlords who lowered rents by more than 25 per cent for tenants affected financially by COVID-19.

The Government says it wants to split financial pain between renters, landlords, and the ACT budget. ( ABC News: Michael Black )

The Government argued the plan would see a sharing of the financial burden between renters, landlords, and the budget bottom line.

But the measures were criticised by the ACT branch of the Real Estate Institute, whose branch president Craig Bright called for rents to instead be deferred.

"There is a major impact on property owners in Australia through this spell of unemployment," he said.

"My concern is, can owners afford the extra burden?"

That prompted a frustrated response from ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, who accused the Real Estate Institute of being "out of touch".

"They represent a small sector of interest, and frankly the broader community is starting to get a little sick of people trying to protect their patch," he said.



"We will be dragging, if we have to, landlords to the table.

"Think about the implications for the broader community, not just about how much money you can make, or how much you can salvage out of this situation.

"There is no world in which landlords skate through this without experiencing some pain — it's more than just deferrals, it has to be about rent reductions."

Four new cases have been recorded in the ACT since yesterday — two men and two women aged between 31 and 59.

Two of the new cases had recently travelled overseas, and two had been in contact with other confirmed cases.

More than 5,000 tests have been conducted in Canberra so far.