Indigenous leader’s concerns for vulnerable Katherine community

AMSANT chief executive John Paterson says Indigenous communities are at risk following local Covid case. The NT News is in Katherine covering the lockdown.

UPDATE

KATHERINE residents are concerned for neighbouring Indigenous communities, with some describing the effect Covid-19 would have as “devastating”.

It comes after a man in his 20s visited the Katherine Club on Monday between 5pm and 6pm, when Indigenous community members were there.

Katherine Club manager Alison Vincent said there would have been some Indigenous members at the Katherine Club during that time.

“Our population in Katherine has of a lot of Indigenous people, there would have been some people attending the club at the time (of the exposure),” Ms Vincent said.

“Mondays are one of our quietest days,” Ms Vincent said.

Currently the vaccination rates for many of Katherine’s surrounding communities are not reported on the NT government website but in Pine Creek, the double dose vaccination rate is 69 per cent.

AMSANT chief executive John Paterson said the Katherine Club exposure site was a risk.

“This virus could end up in our remote communities at any time and it’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when and we have experienced that ‘when’ this week in the Territory,” Mr Paterson said

He said communities were now at very high risk of the virus.

“This could end up in our vulnerable remote communities anytime,” he said.

“It will spread like wildfire to our remote communities if we have a large population of unvaccinated people in the Territory.”

Katherine local Richard Baxter was also concerned for the Katherine community due to the high percentage of Indigenous population who were “quite vulnerable”.

“There are a few exposure sites in town, if it gets out into the Indigenous community that won’t be good,” he said.

Mr Paterson said it was not long until people would not be let into venues unless they were vaccinated.

“There is a threat which could impact cultural ceremonies,” he said.

“Important leaders could come into contact with Covid-19 and become very seriously ill.”

Ms Vincent said she thought the majority of her patrons were vaccinated but “there is always the handful who aren’t”.

“I think there will be a few more people who will be vaccinated after today,” she said.

Ms Vincent urged anyone who was not vaccinated to do so.

“Stay safe, stay inside – don’t travel unless you have to,” she said.

“If you’re not feeling well, don’t go to work and get tested – it’s the best for everybody.”

As a part of the process of signing in at the Katherine Club, all members must swipe their card and non-members must sign in. 

Ms Vincent said members and non-members would also sign in using the government Covid-19 app.

“We’re pretty strict on it at the front – if patrons don’t have the app on their phone, we have a manual form for them to fill out as well,” she said.

EARLIER

THE streets of Katherine are quiet, with residents following restrictions and lining up to get tested for Covid-19 after the rural town was plunged into a 72-hour lockdown.

The lockdown began on Thursday midnight after a man in his 20s tested positive for Covid in the town.

Residents can only leave their homes for five essential reasons, a routine Katherine knows all too well after experiencing a four-day lockdown in August.

Due to poor timing, Katherine Mayor Lis Clarke is in Alice Springs for a conference.

Ms Clarke urged Katherine residents to stay at home, keep on top of updates and to book in for the Covid-19 vaccination.

“Listen to the broadcast, stay indoors for the lockdown period and please get immunised if you haven’t already because that is so important for everyone in the town,” Ms Clarke said.

“If you’re not immunised it can be detrimental to your health, so I think that’s something which is so important.

“It is so important and you just can’t overwrite that.”

Darwin and Katherine Lockdown Novemeber

Woolworths nightfill worker Richard Baxter said he was working when the man in his 20s visited the grocery store in Katherine.

“I was there when that fella was there, I got a text from my manager this morning about the lockdown,” he said.

Mr Baxter felt no symptoms but was getting the tested as a precaution.

“(I’ve) still seen a quite a few cars around but it sort of seems a bit dead like the first lockdown”

“I was there when he was there on Monday.

“If he was there on Monday and today is Friday, that’s a few days and he was unvaccinated too and he works at Tindal … I think that’s a bit slack, look where we are now”.

Mr Baxter was concerned for the Katherine community due to the high percentage of “quite vulnerable” indigenous population.