Mum of unaccompanied teen flying into NT shares frustrations over lack of quarantine info from government

THE mother of a minor, believed to be the first to fly into the Territory from a hotspot unaccompanied since quarantine requirements changed, has shared her frustrations with the lack of communication from the NT Government

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THE mother of a minor, believed to be the first to fly into the Territory from a hotspot unaccompanied since quarantine requirements changed, has shared her frustrations with the lack of communication from the NT Government.

The mother in Victoria, who did not want to be named, is flying her 13-year-old daughter back to the Territory this week.

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She will go into quarantine with her father who is already at Howard Springs.

Before Wednesday however, the mother said she was handballed to multiple departments with none able to confirm if her daughter would be met by government staff at the airport, how she would be transported to Howard Springs or if she would be quarantining anywhere near her father.

“The COVID hotline for the NT Government don’t know the process themselves and I find that very disgusting,” she said.

A single person’s room at the Howard Springs Quarantine centre. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

“They should be the ones that are on top of it and you should be able to ring them, and they should be able to tell you everything that’s going happen when you land.”

The mother has since received clarity on the processes, and was told by a Howard Springs staff member that her daughter was the first to fly into the Territory unaccompanied hence the confusion. She said it was still unacceptable.

“It’s quite stressful knowing that we were putting her at risk, one from catching the virus and going home and on the plane, and also what’s going to happen for the other end,” she said.

“I’m not really confident knowing she’s the guinea pig for it … I don’t see how that is child safety. It should have already been all planned out.”

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A Secure NT spokesman said all minors entering the NT from overseas or declared interstate hot spots were required to enter mandatory, supervised quarantine.

“Family members will be accommodated in adjacent rooms as the Howard Springs Quarantine Facility is comprised of single rooms only,” he said.

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