What you need to know about self-isolating in the Northern Territory because of coronavirus

WHAT happens if you need to self-isolate in the NT but have nowhere to go? What if you live in a share house? What if you’re flying home from overseas and your flight lands in another city first. SOME of your questions answered here

Deputy Chief Health Officer, and NT COVID-19 health lead, Professor Dianne Stephens and NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

TERRITORIANS flying home from overseas will be able to catch connecting flights from other Australian cities before being required to self-isolate because of the coronavirus pandemic.

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles this morning said overseas travellers who arrive in Australia via Darwin, or another city, will be able to catch a flight to their home town before undertaking a 14-day self-isolation period.

COVID-19 update with Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles and Deputy Chief Health Officer, Di Stephens

Posted by The NT News on Monday, 16 March 2020

The former Inpex workers camp at Howard Springs, which was used to quarantine passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and from China, will be set up to house people who cannot self-isolate at home, as well as people with the virus who don’t need to be in a hospital but have nowhere else to go.

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Deputy Chief Health Officer Associate Professor Dianne Stephens said the facility would be ready to be used again by the end of the week.

It will be opened when demand is there, Prof Stephens said.

“That facility will provide a drive-through testing facility for the Palmerston and rural regions and provide an accommodation facility for those that cannot home quarantine in their home because they don’t have a home, or have vulnerable people at home, or are in a share house,” she said.

“We’ll also be using the facility to look after people who need to home isolate who have the disease. It will be in a separate area of the facility.

“It will be for the people who don’t have a home to go to and don’t need to be in hospital.”

A pandemic clinic is expected to be set up in Alice Springs by the end of the week.

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The NT Government is refusing to say how many people have been tested for the coronavirus since the Territory’s first pandemic clinic opened in Darwin a week ago today.

Asked by the NT News how many people have been tested since the clinic, located at Royal Darwin Hospital, started seeing patients Ms Fyles replied: “We’re not releasing the numbers on how many people we’re testing.

“We’re testing many people.”