Still no community COVID-19 transmission in NT, says Health Minister

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has reassured Territorians that one of the four cases of COVID-19 diagnosed overnight was not from community transmission. WATCH the full video of the media conference here

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has assured Territorians that one of the four cases of COVID-19 diagnosed overnight was not from community transmission. Picture: Getty Images

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has assured Territorians that one of the cases of COVID-19 diagnosed overnight was not from community transmission.

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It comes after four more people tested positive to the virus last night, including a woman in her 20s who had not acquired it from overseas but from a family member who had already been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles will provide an update about the NT’s new coronavirus cases at the Royal Darwin Hospital pandemic clinic.

Posted by The NT News on Friday, 3 April 2020

Ms Fyles said this was the first case acquired in the Territory, but it was not a case of community transmission.

“My understanding is they were a family member and had been living in the same house,” she said.

Director of the Centre for Disease Control, Dr Vicki Krause, said it was important to understand the difference.

A graph showing the number of cases diagnosed in the NT since the first positive — a NSW man visiting the Territory — was recorded on March 4

“Community transmission is when a locally acquired case cannot be traced back to a close contact,” she said.

“We are not seeing the transmission that is unknown across the community.”

The four new cases are expected to be transferred to the Royal Darwin Hospital today.

Ms Fyles said some of the Territory’s 26 confirmed cases could begin being transferred to the Howard Springs pandemic clinic from today.

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“I haven’t been advised that any patients have been admitted there,” she said.

“It could be today, it could be in a few days’ time.

“That would be a clinical decision – when people are transferred to Howard Springs.