Adelaide set to be taken off NT’s COVID-19 hot spot list

THE NT is likely to reopen to all of South Australia following the discovery that the contact tracing in Adelaide had been incorrect, says health minister Natasha Fyles

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THE NT is likely to reopen to all of South Australia from 9am Saturday.

In a shock announcement, following the discovery that the contact tracing in Adelaide had been incorrect, Health Minister Natasha Fyles said chief health officer Hugh Heggie planned to reopen to the state including those in Adelaide and its surrounds.

This means those within quarantine will be allowed out, providing they test negative to a further COVID-19 test this afternoon and are showing no symptoms, after 9am Saturday.

“We’ve seen a huge amount of testing in South Australia,” Ms Fyles said.

“I thank Territorians and those people who have been inconvenienced.”

The revocation of the hot spot is dependent on final approval from the chief health officer, who is waiting on overnight testing results from SA.

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Those currently in quarantine will be allowed to leave government facilities and hotels from 9am Saturday.

For those in the Red Centre who had been moved to the Howard Springs quarantine facility in Darwin due to overcrowding in Alice Springs, the government will organise repatriation flights to Alice.

It is not yet known whether these flights will be chartered or commercial.

Ms Fyles said Saturday would mark 14 days since the South Australian cluster was first discovered.

The border to South Australia was closed immediately on Monday morning this week, forcing those mid-air into quarantine, at the government’s expense.

Ms Fyles said the hot spot debacle showed domestic travel had drastically changed.

“Domestic is not what it was before," she said.

“Domestic travel, at any point, can change quickly.”

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Ms Fyles said about 1100 people were in quarantine in the Northern Territory.

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Originally published as Adelaide set to be taken off NT’s COVID-19 hot spot list