NT border rules changed: no high vax zone restrictions
The Territory Government has backed down on its plan to restrict arrivals to the Territory to just Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN TRAVEL TO
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UPDATE WEDNESDAY: THE Territory Government has backed down on its plan to restrict arrivals to the Territory to just Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs.
Under what deputy chief minister Nicole Manison called “modest” changes, travellers will only be banned from the 66 remote communities that have vaccination rates below 80 per cent.
Ms Manison said the government had had “positive productive discussions” with industry groups as well as community leaders.
“We have been able to make some modest changes that should make a big difference,” she said.
The changes will keep people in work and businesses open while keeping the Territory safe, Ms Manison said.
When asked why the government didn't consult with industry and community leaders before making the drastic rule changes last week, Ms Manison said the government had not stopped consulting throughout the pandemic.
“We have listened to that immediate feedback and we have made modest changes,” she said.
“I think we could have gotten some elements better, that’s for sure.”
For people who live or work in remote communities that don’t have high vaccination rates, they’ll still be allowed back into their communities.
Those travellers will have to have a negative Covid-19 PCR test in the 72 hours.
They’ll also need to take a PCR test in the 72 hours after arriving in the NT, in either Darwin, Katherine or Alice Springs but will not have to wait for a negative result before they travel to their remote community.
They must wear a mask for the seven days after their arrival in the Territory and essential workers will have to have a daily rapid antigen test for those first seven days as well.
“They live there, they work there, they belong there, they can go home,” Ms Manison.
“These changes also make sure that workers and family members, including returning students, can be together over the Christmas period.”
For those living on stations unable to access a PCR test on day six of their arrival in the NT, they’ll be allowed to get a rapid antigen test instead.
Other travellers who don’t live or work in the remote communities are not allowed into the exclusion zones unless they are stopping for a short period at a roadhouse on a major highway.
While stopped, they must physically distance and use the Territory Check In app.
UPDATE 5PM: THE Opposition has slammed new rules which will see interstate travellers locked out of regional and remote parts of the Territory for their first fortnight.
Rules announced on Thursday and which come into force on December 20 will prevent arrivals from anywhere interstate from travelling out of highly vaccinated regions.
Currently, only Alice Springs, Darwin and Katherine fit the NT government’s definition of highly vaccinated.
The CLP have seized on the new rules, with its health spokesman Bill Yan accusing the govenment of cancelling Christmas for the regions and hitting tourism operators.
“The tourism sector is already on its knees and this latest change has slammed shut the doors to the Territory,” Mr Yan said.
“Interstate tourists will be barred from Litchfield, Kakadu, Yulara and Kings Canyon until they’ve spent a fortnight in Darwin, Katherine or Alice Springs.”
“This is a kick in the guts to every single Territorian who has followed the health advice and done the right thing.”
Chief Minister Michael Gunner on Thursday insisted the rules were transitional and more areas would be opened up to recent arrivals in coming months.
UPDATE: FOUR cases of Covid-19 were recorded overnight, three locals and one returned traveller.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the three cases were linked to the Katherine cluster: a woman in her 40s who lives in a house with nine others, her daughter who is under 10-years-old, and a woman in her 20s who lives in a household with six others.
The cluster now sits at 67. Ms Fyles said the positives resulted from a testing blitz in the Katherine East area and given the number of cases, expected further positives to be identified.
The fourth case is a man in his 60s who returned to Darwin from London. The case is related to the two women from the same flight who have tested positive in the last week.
Ms Fyles said the man was of low risk to the community, having been in quarantine.
EARLIER: AUTHORITIES will provide an update on Friday morning, a day after changes were made to the Territory’s reopening to the rest of the nation.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles is expected to provide the update at 11.15am.
There were three new cases of Covid-19 detected in the Territory on Thursday, including a teenage from Katherine who was isolating at the Howard Springs quarantine facility.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who provided the update on Thursday, unveiled major changes to the Territory’s reopening roadmap.
The December 20 date for quarantine-free travel into the NT will remain, but rapid antigen testing would be scaled back and arrivals would be required to have a PCR test 72 hours before arriving in the Territory, in the first three days of landing in the NT, and on day six.
Fully vaccinated travellers would not be allowed to leave high-vaccinated areas such as Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
Further details on what you need to know are available here.
EARLIER: THE Chief Health Officer has issued a new legal direction impacting residents in four streets in Katherine East.
Residents in the area are required to get tested for Covid-19 and are not permitted to leave the area unless they produce a negative test result from within the previous 72 hours.
“Due to the occurrence of community transmission of Covid-19 and persistent positive wastewater results in Katherine East, targeted Covid-19 testing stations have been established to help identify undetected cases,” an NT government spokesman said, in a statement on Thursday night.
The affected area includes the identified residential properties on:
- Maluka Road
- Hudspeth Place
- Frangipani Court
- Acacia Drive
“The targeted Covid-19 testing stations will be in place for three days,” the spokesman said. “Those people who refuse to get tested for Covid-19 will be required to go to the Centre for National Resilience or a suitable place as directed by an authorised officer.
“Essential workers such as police, health staff and other workers approved by the Chief Health Officer are not required to get tested.”
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