Chief Minister Michael Gunner reveals two new Covid cases recorded overnight, a man and a woman
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced there were two new positive Covid-19 cases overnight, with one taken to hospital. An entire Indigenous community will be tested on Friday.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
UPDATE: ANOTHER two new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Northern Territory on Friday, as concern grows about a positive wastewater detection in a Katherine Indigenous community.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said a 33-year-old Aboriginal man who worked at the Wurli health service in Katherine has tested positive. A 59-year-old Aboriginal woman also tested positive for the virus.
It takes the total number of infections associated with the Darwin-Katherine-Robinson River cluster to 25, the largest in the NT since the pandemic began.
The man is a fully-vaccinated health worker. He has pre-existing health conditions and has been moved to Royal Darwin Hospital.
“I believe he is the first health worker in the Territory to be positive for Covid-19,” Mr Gunner said.
The man was identified as a close contact earlier this week.
The woman has associations with the household in which several people tested positive for Covid-19.
She had not been previously identified as a close contact. She came forward for testing after developing symptoms.
Mr Gunner said there was concern for a positive wastewater result returned from the Binjari community outside of Katherine.
“There are about 200 residents in this community,” he said.
“A rapid assessment team has been deployed to Binjari (on Friday) morning before the sun came up.
“It’s our intention to test every single person in the Binjari community (on Friday). We’ll also get more people vaccinated there.”
Mr Gunner also confirmed the results of genomic sequencing published on Thursday by NT Health, saying this meant the current outbreak now comprised of 25 cases.
He said there was a nine-day gap between cases, raising the prospect of wider spread in Katherine and across the Territory.
“We think there is still Covid in the community, and the community is not adequately vaccinated.
“There were only 98 new cases in the NT Health clinics (in Katherine on Thursday).”
A total 2891 tests across the NT were processed overnight, with 713 in Katherine.
There’s a total 373 close contacts identified, with 360 contacted. Three close contacts were identified in Yuendumu, 293km northwest of Alice Springs and one in Tennant Creek. The four people have been taken to the Alice Springs quarantine facility.
Yuendumu has a vaccination rate of 36 per cent first dose, 18 per cent fully vaccinated.
Acting chief health officer Dr Charles Pain said the contacts in Yuendumu caused him “considerable concern” given vaccination rates there.
Dr Pain said the Territory-wide mask mandate was implemented to cut down on any potential spread of the virus from close contacts who may have left Katherine and entered places such as Yuendumu.
The mask mandate remains in place across the Territory, with Mr Gunner saying a review of the direction would be made on Saturday.
Dr Pain said the 65-year-old woman who tested positive for the virus earlier this week and had been taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital was still receiving treatment.
“Her condition is stable, but her condition is actually moderate to severe,” he said.
“It’s important to understand this is actually a serious infection and that we are treating her with all the best treatments that are available.”
Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said officers would have “zero tolerance” of anti-mandate protesters who refused to wear a mask on Saturday.
Mr Chalker said compliance in Robinson River had been high, despite police having to assist a man who was “out and about” on Thursday night. He said the man received a warning and returned home.
UPDATE: TWO new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded overnight.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said a 33-year-old Aboriginal man* and a 59-year-old Aboriginal woman tested positive for the virus.
The man is a fully-vaccinated health worker. He has pre-existing health conditions and has been moved to Royal Darwin Hospital.
“I believe he is the first health worker in the Territory to be positive for Covid-19,” Mr Gunner said.
The man was identified as a close contact early on.
The woman has associations with the household in which several people tested positive for Covid-19.
She had not been previously identified as a close contact. She came forward for testing after developing symptoms.
A total 2891 tests across the NT were processed overnight, with 713 in Katherine.
There’s a total 373 close contacts identified, with 360 contacted. Three close contacts were identified in Yuendumu, 293km northwest of Alice Springs and one in Tennant Creek. The four people have been taken to the Alice Springs quarantine facility.
Mr Gunner said there was concern for a positive wastewater result returned from the Binjari community outside of Katherine.
“There are about 200 residents in this community,” he said.
“A rapid assessment team has been deployed to Binjari this morning before the sun came up.
“It’s our intention to test every single person in the Binjari community today. We’ll also get more people vaccinated there today.”
*Mr Gunner had previously described the man as non-Aboriginal.
EARLIER: CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner will provide an update on Friday morning on the Darwin-Katherine-Robinson River Covid-19 cluster.
Mr Gunner will provide his daily update on the situation at 11.05am Friday.
The cluster stood at 23 cases on Thursday afternoon, after sequencing released on Thursday afternoon confirmed that four cases detected in early November in Darwin and Katherine were genetically linked to a further 19 infections found in Katherine and the remote community of Robinson River.
All of the 19 positive cases found after November 13 were in Indigenous Territorians.
A woman, who had received the first dose of her Covid-19 vaccine, was in the Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition. The remainder had been taken to the Howard Springs quarantine facility.
Both Robinson River and Katherine were placed into lockdown earlier this week, with a Territory-wide mask mandate imposed over concerns the virus may have been seeded more widely.
There was a nine-day gap between the two outbreaks, raising the prospect that people may have travelled elsewhere in the Territory while unknowingly infected.
Wastewater results from a number of towns across the NT were also due to be announced on Friday morning.
More Coverage
Join the conversation
Darwin man dead after alleged stabbing by uncle
A man has been arrested in relation to the alleged stabbing death of his nephew in Malak. Latest from police.
Read more
Disruptions expected as new $18m ward works begin at RDH
Disruptions are expected as a new ward is built at Royal Darwin Hospital. Read what’s in it.
Read more