You shall not pass! Strict NT quarantine arrival rules in force

You shall not pass! Not any more. All new Territory arrivals are now required to spend 14 days in enforced quarantine — not self-quarantine — in accommodation of authorities’ choosing

From 12.01am yesterday anybody entering the Territory from interstate – including Territorians returning home – is required to spend 14 days in enforced quarantine in accommodation of NT authorities’ choosing

YOU shall not pass! Not any more, that is.

As of yesterday, all arrivals into the Territory — including Territorians returning home — are now required to spend 14 days in enforced quarantine — not self-quarantine — in accommodation of NT authorities’ choosing.

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As of 12.01 am Thursday all travellers entering the Territory from interstate will be forced into the two weeks’ quarantine, instead of being trusted to self-quarantine, as has previously been the case.

The new regulation — which had already applied to all overseas arrivals to the NT from last Friday — now applies to all NT arrivals, with passengers now directed straight to a hotel that is secured and guarded for 14 days.

Brisbane resident Mark Braun flies into Darwin just ahead of yesterday’s deadline for all new NT arrivals to be put into enforced 14-day hotel isolation. Picture: Glenn Campbell

When Brisbane resident Mark Braun flew into Darwin on Wednesday on a desperate mission to be with his sick mother, he couldn’t believe his luck.

Mr Braun had arranged to spend 14 days — in what he thought would be forced isolation in a Darwin hotel — before being able to complete his journey to Katherine, where his mum is suffering from leukaemia.

He did not know that his midday flight on Wednesday would be one of the last arrivals in Darwin which would allow the relative freedom of self-isolating.

“I was just looking forward to coming here and getting in a hotel for quarantine but now I’ve got to get on a bus or get on a taxi,” Mark said after picking up his luggage from flight QF842 at Darwin International Airport.

“Now I’m trying to figure out how to get back to Katherine to my mum.”

While all positive tests for coronavirus have so far come from people arriving in the Territory on flights, he said he wasn’t too worried and had a reasonable journey to the NT.

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“I had (my face mask) on all the time, I felt pretty comfortable,” Mr Braun said.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever worn one.”

Flight QF842 from Brisbane to Darwin on Wednesday was one of a handful of flights that arrived from midday, with others coming in from Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

Passengers were slowly filtering out of the international terminal, where all domestic flights are now being processed.

From there, passengers collected their bags before finding a lift with a taxi or private driver, en route to their 14 days of self-isolation.

While most passengers appeared to keep their time in the airport to a minimum, eager to stay in isolation, only a few wore face masks.

From midnight tonight, all new arrivals into the NT must pay for their own 14-day hotel quarantine – a $2500 fee – if they still insist on coming here.

Five international flights are scheduled to land and refuel at the Darwin International Airport before continuing on their international route, however passengers and crew will not disembark the aircraft.

Originally published as You shall not pass! Strict NT quarantine arrival rules in force