Repatriated expat tests positive for coronavirus at Howard Springs
UPDATE: A repatriated Australian who tested positive for coronavirus in Howard Springs will be counted towards the NT’s case tally, despite the woman, 31, not being a Territorian
Northern Territory
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A REPATRIATED Australian who tested positive for coronavirus in Howard Springs will be counted towards the NT’s case tally, despite the woman, 31, not being a Territorian.
The woman tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday after arriving in the NT with her two children from India in a planeload of repatriated Australians.
National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre executive director Len Notaras said the young mum initially returned a negative test before boarding the flight in New Delhi but returned a positive result in Howard Springs.
He said because the woman was asymptomatic and in “remarkably good health” she would be able to remain in the quarantine facility at this stage.
The woman and her children will remain together in isolation “hot facility” at Howard Springs, where a higher full Personal Protective Gear used by the AUSMAT team in dealing with those at the facility.
Dr Notaras said the children were also in good health and had returned negative COVID tests but would continue to be closely monitored.
While he was able to confirm the family was not from the NT, Dr Notaras refused to disclose their home state due to privacy reasons.
An NT Health spokeswomsaid at this stage repatriated Aussies who are diagnosed with COVID in Howard Springs will be included in the NT’s total case tally but recorded as having been acquired overseas.
This is a stark change from earlier this year when Diamond Princess passengers tested positive while in quarantine at Howard Spring and were added to their home states’ case tallies.
The total cases diagnosed in the NT is now 35.
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Dr Notaras said they were bracing to see more positive COVID cases as the Howard Springs facility welcomes hundreds of more repatriated Aussies from overseas over the coming months.
“This (positive case) was not unexpected,” he said.
“We expected it from the very beginning, and we will ensure through the strict surveillance and quarantine methods that we’re employing that there’s no chance of any spread outside the facility.”
Originally published as Repatriated expat tests positive for coronavirus at Howard Springs