Health Minister Natasha Fyles rejects Chamber of Commerce call for businesses to reopen within weeks

THE NT Government has dismissed the Chamber of Commerce’s call to allow businesses to begin reopening in coming weeks.

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has dismissed the Chamber of Commerce’s call to allow businesses to begin reopening in coming weeks. Picture: Glenn Campbell

THE NT Government has dismissed the Chamber of Commerce’s call to allow businesses to begin reopening in coming weeks.

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On Monday, Chamber of Commerce NT interim chief executive Greg Ireland said the NT was in a good position for business to bounce back before other parts of Australia, given no new coronavirus cases had been diagnosed for a week.

However, Health Minister Natasha Fyles said on Tuesday that it was too early to begin discussions.

“(We) certainly acknowledge the businesses, many Territorians going through tough times, tough economic times and tough times personally but now is not the time to lift the measures and now is not the time to talk about it and give that false sense of hope,” she said.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles and Police Minister Nicole Manison will give an update about coronavirus and the new 24-hour police station in Nightcliff.

Posted by The NT News on Monday, 13 April 2020

“This is here for a long time. There is no cure, there is no vaccine for coronavirus. We have given our health professionals time to prepare our hospitals but we mustn’t become complacent.

“What we’ve seen overseas is when you remove a measure you see a correlation with the statistics going up and we can’t afford to have that in the Northern Territory.

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“We do hear the concerns from our business community and we try make things as workable as possible but with no cure, no vaccine and the rampant way in which coronavirus has spread, these measures are tough but they’re about saving the lives of Territorians.”

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said lockdown and restriction measures would be in place in the NT for at least six months .

“What worries me is people taking what has been a good result in the NT, because we acted fast, we got ahead of this, to be some sign that we might be able to relax,” he said.

“We cannot be complacent here.

“It only takes one person for there to be community transmission and a cluster.”