Number of Covid-19 cases expected to rise, says NT Health Minister

The number of Covid-19 cases is expected to rise as a result of an outbreak linked to a Territory mine, says NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles.

MORE Covid-19 cases are expected as a result of the Tanami gold mine case says Health Minister Natasha Fyles.

To date six people linked to the mine have tested positive to Covid-19.

“We’ve seen six cases to date, we do expect more cases ..., but this short sharp lockdown is designed to allow us to get on top of it,” she said on ABC Radio this morning.

She said all of the close contacts had been found and were in isolation as of Sunday.

“We saw late yesterday, that we, the police commissioner announced that we have, in fact, identified all of those 260 close contacts and where they are, and they’re in isolation and that’s a great first step,” Ms Fyles said.

“We’re now in the process of making sure them and their contacts are tested, and as we put this puzzle together that we reduce that risk of community spread by people staying home and if they do happen to go out wearing a mask.”

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She said it was an “incredibly” anxious time for authorities as they scrambled to find the “unaccounted for” close contacts for the miner.

“We were incredibly anxious that we couldn’t get in touch with those individuals that number was slowly brought down but we made that decision that we needed to just pause our community, keep everyone where they are and think the worst case, we are working in,” she said.

She said those close contacts they had struggled to get in contact with had either turned their phone off or went camping or fishing.

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Originally published as Number of Covid-19 cases expected to rise, says NT Health Minister