More than 50 NZ arrivals in the NT told to quarantine, get tested as Australia shuts border amid virus scare

MORE than 50 New Zealanders who have arrived in the NT in the past two weeks have been told to head into self-quarantine and get tested for COVID-19, as Australia shuts its border to the country amid a coronavirus scare.

MORE than 50 New Zealanders who have arrived in the NT in the past two weeks have been told to head into self-quarantine and get tested for COVID-19, as Australia shuts its border to the country amid a coronavirus scare.

Australia has suspended its green zone travel bubble with New Zealand for 72 hours, effective immediately, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on Monday.

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The decision comes after a woman contracted New Zealand’s first local case of COVID-19 in two months, with authorities revealing she was infected with the highly-transmissible South African variant.

NT authorities on Monday evening said the chief health officer was closely monitoring the situation.

As a precautionary measure, the NT Centre for Disease Control has contacted the 55 people who have arrived in the Northern Territory from New Zealand in the past 14 days.

Those people that have visited the locations listed as being of interest in New Zealand to have a COVID-19 test and self-isolate until a negative test result is returned.

A full list of New Zealand Locations of Interest can be found on the Ministry of Health website www.health.govt.nz

“This is about taking a precautionary approach while we watch and see what happens in New Zealand and what controls are put in place,” Acting chief health officer Dr Charles Pain said.

“All the people who arrived in the Northern Territory from New Zealand in the past 14 days have been contacted by the Centre of Disease Control and those people who have been to the locations listed as being of interest are required to get tested and self-isolate.

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“While the risk is low to the Northern Territory, it is important that we take the necessary steps to keep our community safe particularly as this case involves a more infectious strain of COVID-19.

“I will continue to monitor and review the situation in New Zealand and will not hesitate to declare a hotspot if one is required to protect the NT community.”

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