Our poll: Territorians split on reopening borders, but tending towards sooner rather than later
TERRITORIANS are split over whether we should reopen our borders – but the highest percentage think they should be opened sooner rather than later
Northern Territory
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TERRITORIANS are split over whether we should reopen our borders – but the highest percentage think they should be opened sooner rather than later.
About 1000 NT News digital subscribers voted in our online poll on Friday and — out of the five options — the highest percentage of voters (28 per cent) want the NT’s borders to reopen next month.
This is compared to 24 per cent who think they should open in July, 14 per cent in August, 16 per cent in September and 18 per cent some time later than September.
Officially there is no clarity on when NT borders will open with Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie and Chief Minister Michael Gunner refusing to indicate when the travel restrictions will be eased.
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Dr Heggie on Thursday declined to say whether Territorians would have to wait until September for border restrictions to ease, saying it would “not be appropriate” for him to speculate on the timeline.
It comes after federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said he couldn’t see why borders were still closed.
“I will continue to provide clinical advice … to help inform the Government’s response,” Dr Heggie said.
“Border controls are the most effective means of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“Although there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the NT, there is every chance more cases will be diagnosed here. Territorians should not become complacent.”
Despite mounting pressure from NT’s business community, Mr Gunner has also repeatedly refused to put a date on lifting border restrictions.
Originally published as Our poll: Territorians split on reopening borders, but tending towards sooner rather than later