Alice Springs lockout extended for seven days with 314 new cases

The Territory has recorded 314 new cases of Covid-19 overnight while lockouts in Alice Springs, Amoonguna, Yuendumu and Yuelamu will be extended for another seven days.

UPDATE SATURDAY: THE Territory has recorded 314 new cases of Covid-19 overnight while lockouts in Alice Springs, Amoonguna, Yuendumu and Yuelamu will be extended for another seven days.

Meanwhile the Central Australian community of Utopia has entered a seven day lockdown, while Galiwin’ku’s lockdown has been extended for another seven days and Ski Beach has entered a seven day lockout.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the extended lockout in Alice Springs was due to the movement of the virus throughout the community, including into Town Camps.

“We are seeing small case numbers popping up in a large number of communities,” she said.

Ms Fyles said there had been 22 new cases recorded in the low-vax Central Australian community of Utopia, where only about 40 per cent of residents were fully vaccinated.

“We really need the residents of Utopia to please come forward and get vaccinated, it’s not too late,” she said.

As of Saturday morning, Ms Fyles said 63 Territorians were in hospital with Covid-19, one of whom was in intensive care and six were receiving oxygen.

UPDATE FRIDAY 5.30pm: STUDENTS will go back to school as planned, despite Covid-19 cases in the Northern Territory expected to hit their peak in the first week of ­February.

Most schools in the Territory start term one on Monday, January 31.

Under new guidelines, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said all government schools would have their airconditioning systems audited to ensure they could filter air.

Five hundred air purifiers would be made available to classrooms without central airconditioning.

Pupils in Year 3 and above will be strongly encouraged to wear masks in the classroom but Mr Gunner said it was not feasible to make masks mandatory and fine non-­compliant students $5000.

Teachers will be given three rapid antigen tests a week for the first month back at school, which they can use to test themselves if they develop symptoms.

Masks will be recommended for students in year three and above. Picture: File.

Parents will also be given free RATs if their children ­develop symptoms.

However, students will not have to stay home from school even if they are deemed a close contact if they are asymptomatic. They will not need to test negative.

Positive cases will need to isolate at home for seven days.

Parents will be notified if there is a positive case at their child’s school.

Mr Gunner said he was not going to follow Queensland in delaying the start to the school year, saying the hospital system was handling the caseload.

“We’ve got cases at a rate where we can handle it,” he said.

“We’re expecting there to be an increase in caseload tying to families returning to interstate, which is also the start of school term.”

There are 62 people being treated in hospitals with Covid-19 but Mr Gunner said on Friday about half had presented for treatment of other conditions.

Two people are in a critical condition in intensive care with the virus.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said cases were expected to spike as families returned from interstate. Picture: Glenn Campbell

There were 432 new cases reported on Friday, with deputy chief health officer Jacqui Murdoch saying cases had spread widely into remote communities.

Three new cases were ­detected in locked down Galiwin’ku on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in a cluster there to 52.

There were five new cases detected in Kakadu.

Dr Murdoch said there were “a number of outbreaks” developing across Central Australia, including in remote communities.

Eight cases were detected in Yuendumu and 12 in Utopia.

“We’re watching and monitoring that closely to see if there are any other public health measures that need to be put in place,” she said.

Dr Murdoch said half of the cases in Territory hospitals were at the Royal Darwin.

There were an additional 28 cases added to the outbreak at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre.

UPDATE FRIDAY 12.30pm: CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has unveiled the Territory’s Covid back to school plan as the number of Covid positive cases in NT hospitals continues to increase.

The Territory government’s back to school plan aims to keep kids safe, keep kids in school and support teachers and staff.

Measures within the plan include ensuring airconditioning systems meet or exceed relevant standards, installing air purifiers, encouraging students from Year 3 and up wear masks and practising enhanced health and cleaning measures.

“Over the past two years, like many other places across the country, the Territory has kept our schools open and kept our kids learning,” Mr Gunner said.

“Here we face the Omicron wave and we must keep our kids learning while continuing to keep them safe.

“The best thing we can give our kids is an educations as kids cannot get a great start in life without a great education.”

This plan has been unveiled as the number of Covid positive patients in Territory hospitals continue to increase.

There are currently 62 people with Covid receiving care in hospitals across the jurisdiction with five requiring oxygen and two in intensive care currently considered critical.

There were also 432 new cases recorded bringing the active number of cases to 3570, the lowest number of active cases in a week.

UPDATE: CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner is expected to unveil the Territory’s back to school plan, as teachers and students prepare to get back into the classroom in just over a week’s time.

The NT News understands Friday’s press conference will reveal further details over testing in the classroom.

School will be back in session in the first week of February, the very same week chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie predicts the Territory’s Covid-19 wave will peak.

Only 22 per cent of Territorians aged 5 to 11 years old have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. 71 per cent of teenagers aged 12 to 15 are double vaccinated.

Mr Gunner is expected to also provide the Territory’s latest Covid-19 numbers on Friday afternoon.

On Thursday, there was one person in intensive care and 459 new cases.

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