Health Minister Natasha Fyles says texts notifying people they visited exposure sites were sent in error

Health Minister Natasha Fyles has revealed a batch of text messages sent to Territorians notifying them they had visited an exposure site were sent in error.

HEALTH Minister Natasha Fyles has revealed a batch of text messages sent to Territorians notifying them they had visited an exposure site were sent in error.

Ms Fyles could not confirm how many people received the botched text messages or whether the recipients had been contacted yet to inform them of the blunder.

On Boxing Day, Alice Springs residents reported receiving the messages from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) advising they had visited low-risk exposure sites.

The text messages did not specify where the exposure was.

It led the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress chief medical officer John Boffa to accuse the NT government of failing to list all public exposure sites.

But Ms Fyles said the bungle was an “innocent mistake”.

“I’ve come to understand that those text messages were sent an error,” she said, speaking to ABC Radio.

“There are no low risk exposure sites in Alice Springs.”

Ms Fyles apologised for the gaffe and said the government was “refining” its processes to prevent the same issue happening again.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles could not confirm how many people received the botched text messages or whether they had been notified of the bungle. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“Those messages now need to go to our Emergency Operations Centre so that they are double-checked and triple-checked,” she said.

“We also need to acknowledge that through the Christmas period, people have been working really hard.

“It was an innocent error.”

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro told ABC Radio the oversight showed the NT government was in a “state of chaos” when it comes to managing the pandemic.

“The fact that it’s taken days since the text messages were sent for government to do anything about it really shows how little regard they have for people living beyond the Berrimah line,” she said.

“People who got those text messages on Boxing Day will no doubt be stressed, concerned, worried, perhaps even taking steps to distance themselves from loved ones, just in case.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the government had had two years to prepare for the inevitable rise in Covid-19 cases, but had created a “complete and utter mess”.

The text message reportedly received by an Alice Springs resident from the CDC. Picture: Supplied.

“The last month has been – I think – probably the time of greatest chaos and change when it comes to Covid,” she said.

“The government has spectacularly mismanaged it. Communication on Covid needs to be explicitly clear.”

It comes as the NT recorded 37 new cases in the latest reporting period, including a nurse and two marines.

There are currently two casual contact sites in Central Australia listed on the NT government coronavirus website, dating back to December 17.

They are the Way Out Bush Store in Ti Tree and the Shell Coles Express Alice Springs Truck Stop.

Ms Fyles said she was seeking more details about the extent of text message stuff up.

“I’ve asked for a full briefing because it is obviously disappointing that this can happen,” she said.

“We can’t have confusion. When people get a message, we want them to act upon it.

“If we have errors going out in message people become blasé.”

Ms Fyles denied the Health Department was facing significant staffing issues across the Territory.

It comes as NT Health revealed the extent of remote clinic closures across the Territory over the Christmas holiday breaking due to staffing shortages.

Originally published as Health Minister Natasha Fyles says texts notifying people they visited exposure sites were sent in error