Woman dies in Howard Springs, two new Covid-19 cases in NT

A woman has died in the Howard Springs quarantine facility. It comes as two new cases of Covid-19 have been discovered in the Territory

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: THE Northern Territory is set to reach an important vaccination milestone today.

According to Commonwealth data as of 3pm yesterday, 79.7 per cent of people over 16 in the Territory were double vaccinated.

Deputy Health Officer Dr Charles Pain said he believed the Territory-led data already reflected that threshold, with a higher figure than federal numbers reported.

The NTG data, currently at 91 per cent double dose for over-16s, is based on the number of jabs given within the Territory and includes people who may not live here full time.

“We do have confidence in we’re about to pass the 80 per cent level anyway, for the Commonwealth numbers,” he said.

“And our figures are higher than that so we’re certainly very confident that it’s somewhere between those numbers.

“So in other words, we are effectively beyond we’re at an above 80 per cent mark.”

Dr Pain said the difference between the two numbers was not of great concern for the government.

“The difference between our figures and the Commonwealth’s doesn’t really affect our decision making,” he said.

“We’ve reached that threshold in which we feel comfortable and confident that we can manage these outbreaks in the way that we’re doing.”

It comes as two new cases of Covid were recorded on Wednesday, both connected to the most recent case in Katherine — a three-year-old girl.

The mother of the girl tested positive after an initial negative result and was currently in Royal Darwin Hospital.

The second case, another infant, was a household contact. It brings the current cluster to 63.

Overall, 2874 tests were conducted on Tuesday, including just under 200 in Katherine.

Katherine’s lockout settings were removed at midday yesterday.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said wastewater testing in the town showed “a presence of Covid” but the results were weaker than previously detected.

“I want to warn the community that we will see people returning from the Centre for National Resilience back into Katherine, and they will continue to shed the virus and so we may get detections of Covid present in the wastewater, which won’t necessarily be linked to new cases and people turning positive,” she said.

In the same press conference Ms Fyles revealed a woman in her 50s in Howard Springs quarantine had died overnight. The NT coroner was investigating the death, which is not related to Covid.

Ms Fyles extended her condolences to the family.

EARLIER WEDNESDAY: THE NT Coroner will investigate after a woman died in the Howard Springs quarantine facility on Tuesday night.

The death was not related to Covid-19, Health Minister Natasha Fyles said.

Ms Fyles extended her condolences to the woman’s family and community.

In the same press conference, Ms Fyles announced two new cases of Covid-19 had been discovered in the Territory, both connected to the 3-year-old girl from Katherine.

The mother of the girl, currently in RDH, has tested positive despite testing negative on December 5.

Another infant, who was also a close household contact of the girl, has also tested positive.

It brings the current cluster to 63.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the mother was not requiring treatment at the hospital but was escorting her daughter.

Health authorities have received the results of 18 tests from the 31 close contacts of the girl, Ms Fyles said, and were expecting more results shortly.

“We do expect possibly some more cases,” she said.

Overall, 2874 tests were conducted on Tuesday, including just under 200 in Katherine.

Ms Fyles said targeted testing had been completed around Acacia Rd in Katherine, where the 3-year-old girl lived.

Meanwhile, a man in his 50s is still recovering in RDH but is no longer in the ICU.

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