Three teens in custody after wild Howard Springs escape

Three teens are in custody after breaking out of Australia’s most isolated quarantine facility and spending time in the community.

A trio of teens who spent the morning on the run after absconding from the Howard Springs quarantine facility could face the possibility of restarting their isolation.

The teens, aged 15, 16, and 17 years old, have all tested negative to Covid-19 and are now in police custody after scaling a fence and fleeing the area in the early hours on Wednesday morning.

All three are close contacts of a case in the remote community near Katherine.

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said the three were found on the outskirts of Palmerston. He also urged the public to empathise with the teens who were likely struggling with the isolation.

“These are young people,” he said.

“To move from remote communities where overcrowding is present to being placed in a single room, and the isolation that they may feel, we believe is somewhat of an indication.”

He said authorities would be working with the health teams to understand the trigger behind the loneliness.

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner has cautioned the trio could be forced to restart their stint in quarantine after their time in the community.

“Rules are rules and there are consequences,” Mr Gunner told reporters.

Earlier, a police checkpoint was established to search every car and boot lined up at the corner of Howard Springs Rd and Whitewood Rd.

Current situation on Whitewood Road in Howard Springs: pic.twitter.com/oi4sdL8wZv

— Tahlia Sarv (@tahliasarv) November 30, 2021

More than 100 cars were caught up in the traffic jam caused by the manhunt.

In response, Mr Chalker said additional CCTV cameras would be installed at the facility.

The incident is the second time in a week that a returned traveller has escaped from quarantine at Howard Springs.

Last week a 27-year-old male allegedly absconded from the facility and was later found by police on Darwin’s main strip.

In January, a 33-year old woman scaled the fence and walked off but was located by police within 15 minutes.

Howard Springs is housing both returned travellers and individuals affected by the Covid-19 outbreak in Katherine. Picture: Glen Campbell via NCA NewsWire

Howard Springs is housing people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak in the Katherine region in addition to returned travellers.

NT health authorities on Monday confirmed a man in his 30s who arrived on a repatriation flight from South Africa had tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19.