Greater Darwin lockdown extended after Covid delta variant recorded in NT

The Northern Territory’s lockdown has been extended after one new infection, confirmed to be the Delta strain, was recorded overnight.

The Greater Darwin lockdown will be extended after the Northern Territory recorded one new local case of coronavirus on Monday, health authorities have confirmed.

The Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield areas will now remain in lockdown until 1pm Friday, with a Darwin pub listed as a “high-risk” site as of Saturday.

It has prompted authorities to urge anyone at the Buff Club from 5.30-8pm on Saturday to isolate and get tested.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the new case was a man in his 50s who left the mine site on June 25 and was a close contact of an earlier case.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner says authorities are taking extreme action to slow the spread of the virus. Picture: Glenn Campbell

He confirmed the new case was from the Delta variant circulating in NSW.

The man has been in isolation at Howard Springs since the night of June 26.

Mr Gunner said the extension was “absolutely necessary” to stop further spreading.

“We are not out of the woods yet, not by a long way,” he said.

“The Northern Territory is now facing its biggest threat since the Covid crisis began.”

Mr Gunner said rural communities like Alice Springs would not go into lockdown as the risk is in the Greater Darwin area.

“That’s why we have stopped travel in and out of the area … not to protect us, but protect you,” he said.

Health authorities confirmed the man visited the Buff Club on the Stuart Highway between 5.30pm and 8pm on June 25.

Mr Gunner urged anyone who had visited the high-risk location between those times to isolate and get tested.

Casual exposure sites include a BWS store, a Bunnings Darwin store and Darwin Airport.

Darwin Airport is listed as a low-risk exposure site as it was related to a positive case who travelled from Queensland and purchased items at the airport newsagent and cafe on Friday between 1.30pm and 3.35pm.

“Her viral load was considered low during this time and she wore a mask while in the airport as required,” Mr Gunner said.

Staff in the arrivals and departures hall are also being tested and are in isolation.

Mr Gunner said authorities were taking “extreme action” to stop or slow any spread of the virus.

“This is a challenging time for Northern Territorians. It is our biggest test — it is scary and uncertain, I know that,” Mr Gunner said.

“I would rather regret us going too hard too early, than go to easy and risk it all.”

NT first went into Covid-19 alert on Friday night when a gold mine worker returned a positive result.

This outbreak marks the first time the NT has seen community transmission and the first time exposure venues have been listed.

Originally published as Greater Darwin lockdown extended after Covid delta variant recorded in NT