More Covid-19 cases understood to be detected in Katherine/Robinson River cluster

It is understood more Covid-19 cases have been detected related to the latest Top End cluster.

UPDATE: The NT News understands more Covid-19 cases have been detected related to the Greater Katherine/Robinson River cluster.

ABC Radio reported Chief Minister Michael Gunner was not able to make his regular appearance due to Covid-19 meetings, with more cases understood to be detected.

In Katherine, schools are only open to children of essential workers.

More to come.

UPDATED: ABORIGINAL health services’ nightmare has become reality after two new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Territory on Monday.

Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT chief executive John Paterson said he was heartened by the expedited response to two new positive Covid-19 cases that had links to the remote Robinson River community.

“We are pleased with the swift actions of NT Health in sending dedicated workforce and testing requirements to the community,” he said.

However, he said the threat was real with people living in overcrowded homes and a high proportion of the population not eligible for vaccination.

“This is a deadly virus and we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible, because having communities living in overcrowding will prove very challenging,” he said.

Potentially more than half of the Robinson River community are aged under 12 making them currently ineligible to get the jab.

NT Health data has the Robinson River community as 77 per cent double dosed from 168 people but Chief Minister Michael Gunner said approximately 350 people would need to have PCR tests in the coming days.

“Well that is a population estimate, we’ll have hard numbers as we go through population testing,” Mr Gunner said.

“Obviously there is a lot of mobility in the Territory but the population estimate I had today was about 350.”

The first case is a 43-year-old Aboriginal male who lives with seven others in Katherine and has connections with the Robinson River community, which is about 800km from Katherine.

He is fully vaccinated and has an underlying medical condition.

Mr Gunner said the man had probably been infectious since November 10.

The second positive case is a 30-year-old, unvaccinated Aboriginal woman, who is a household contact of the man.

It is believed she has been infectious since November 11.

The Greater Katherine region and Robinson River community were plunged in to a 72-hour lockdown from 6pm on Monday.

Mr Gunner said these were the most serious cases recorded since the start of the pandemic because they were in a remote community.

He said there was not a clear between these two new cases and the recent Darwin Katherine cluster.

Katherine has a 66 per cent double vax rate, according to NT Health data.

EARLIER: TWO new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the Northern Territory, an Aboriginal man and woman.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner revealed the first case was a 43-year-old man who is fully vaccinated but has underlying health conditions.

Mr Gunner said he lives with seven others in Katherine and has connections with the Robinson River community, about 800km from Katherine.

On November 9 the man returned a negative result. A test on November 13 came back positive on Monday.

The man had likely been infectious since November 10.

The second case is a 30-year-old Aboriginal woman, who is not vaccinated and is a household contact of the man.

It is believed she has been infectious since November 11.

The Greater Katherine region and the Robinson River community will go in to a 72-hour lockdown from 6pm on Monday.

Mr Gunner said these were the most serious cases recorded since the start of the pandemic because they were in a remote community.

He said there was not a clear between these two new cases and the recent Darwin/Katherine cluster.

Katherine has a 66 per cent double vax rate according to NT Health data, while 77 per cent of Robinson River community residents are double dosed.

“We’ve already dispatched a rapid assessment team of eight people to Robinson River and activated our public health plan for this community,” Mr Gunner said.

“The rapid assessment team will include both health experts and police and includes extra vaccines.”

Acting chief health officer Charles Pain was “gravely concerned” for the impact Covid could have on remote communities.

“The fact that we now have a case in Robinson River is of grave concern,” he said.

“Aboriginal people as we expect because of the prevalence of underlying conditions in younger Aboriginal people are more prone.

“So we are gravely concerned about the impact on our Aboriginal communities, so all the more reason please and particularly for our Aboriginal communities to come forward and get vaccinated.”

Originally published as More Covid-19 cases understood to be detected in Katherine/Robinson River cluster