COVID-19 transmission concerns raised over Airnorth stopover flight carrying hot spot travellers

A RESIDENT of the remote mining town of Nhulunbuy has questioned why a mother and her kids, who had declared they had been in a hot spot, were allowed to disembark an Airnorth flight in the township.

A RESIDENT of the remote mining town of Nhulunbuy has questioned why a mother and her kids, who had declared they had been in a hot spot, were allowed to disembark an Airnorth flight in the township.

The trio followed all requirements and declared they had been in a hot spot within 14 days prior to landing in Nhulunbuy.

A Nhulunbuy resident said the group was escorted by police to a local hotel to spend the night.

A COVID-19 Operation Centre spokeswoman confirmed a family had arrived at Nhulunbuy who were required to be in quarantine.

“A family of three arrived into Nhulunbuy on a flight yesterday (Tuesday),” she said.

“They followed all correct processes and declared they had travelled from a hot spot. They have entered the mandatory 14-day quarantine process.”

However concerns have been raised by a Nhulunbuy resident as they worried people sitting in those seats on the continuing flight to Darwin were being put at unnecessary risk of a potential COVID-19 transmission.

The township of Nhulunbuy, as viewed from the Roy Marika lookout. Picture: Michael Franchi

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“I highly doubt that any of the surfaces or seats that these passengers were sat in were cleaned while the plane was on the ground here in Nhulunbuy before four (sic) unknowing passengers were made to sit in these seats, meaning these four (sic) people may have just been exposed,” the resident said.

An Airnorth spokeswoman said the airline had ramped up its cleaning procedures in response to COVID-19.

“If a customer is travelling from an identified hotspot, Airnorth staff will pre-seat that customer to support social distancing protocols to minimise the risk of a potential transmission in-flight,” the spokeswoman said.

“Our regular cleaning and maintenance procedures have been amended to include a disinfect process with a unique antimicrobial technology that actively protects our treated hard and soft surfaces for up to 100 days.”

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It comes as the Darwin man who tested positive to COVID-19 after he travelled from Pakistan to Darwin via Melbourne has recovered.