AMSANT urges Aboriginal Territorians to follow health advice after cluster grows

Aboriginal Territorians are being urged to follow health advice to protect family, friends and community after the NT’s Covid cluster grew overnight.

UPDATE: The NT’s peak Aboriginal health body has urged all First Nations Territorians to stay safe during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) chief executive John Paterson said it was crucial for Aboriginal Territorians to follow health advice, after nine First Nations people tested positive for Covid-19 overnight.

“This is potentially our Wilcannia moment. This is our call for maximum vigilance at a clinical and political level but more importantly a call for maximum care and love for our

families and friends,” he said.

“What we need now is for all of us in remote communities, as well as our larger towns and cities, to refocus on the simple issues we have emphasised from the first.

“Stay at home, care for your families, protect your communities. Call the clinic if you are experiencing any health difficulties.

“This applies wherever you are in the Territory, not just Katherine and Robinson River.

“And do the right thing: get vaccinated as a matter of urgency to protect our Elders and kids.”

EARLIER: NINE new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the NT overnight, all Aboriginal Territorians.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the new cases were: a 71-year-old man, a 65-year-old woman who has been admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital, a 62-year-old woman, a 40-year-old woman, a 38-year-old woman, a 22-year-old woman, a 16-year-old girl and two five-year-old female twins.

Mr Gunner said their vaccination statuses were unconfirmed. All of the cases, with the exception of the 65-year-old woman, have been or will be moved to the Centre for National Resilience.

The 65-year-old is unwell but does not at this stage require intensive care.

All of the cases are household contacts of the original cases, a 43-year-old man and 30-year-old woman.

The Greater Katherine lockdown will be extended until next Monday 6pm. The Robinson River lockdown will end on Thursday 6pm.

A mask mandate will be in place for the entire Northern Territory until next Monday, 6pm.

Two more close contact exposure sites have been identified: the Katherine Hospital and MacFarlane Primary School in Katherine East.

Further details of the times and dates will be released. Thus far 161 people have been identified as close contacts. Wastewater testing for Darwin and Katherine will be done daily.

The origin of the original cases has yet to be identified. Authorities are working to learn if this cluster is related to the Katherine cluster in October for which a 21-year-old woman was identified as the source.

EARLIER: CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner will provide a Covid-19 update midmorning, with more cases expected to be declared.

On Monday a fully-vaccinated 43-year-old Aboriginal man and an unvaccinated 30-year-old Aboriginal woman were announced as testing positive for the virus.

The man lives with seven others in Katherine and has connections with the Robinson River community, about 800km from Katherine.

He also has an underlying health condition and is believed to be infectious since November 10.

The woman is a household contact of the man. She is believed to have been infectious since November 11.

Several public exposure sites have been named, including Kirby’s Pub at the Katherine Hotel on November 10 from 10am to 6pm and November 12 from 12pm to 4.30pm.

Originally published as AMSANT urges Aboriginal Territorians to follow health advice after cluster grows