Covid NT: Territory Wildlife Park reopens after Covid closure

A popular park that was closed due to Covid-19 has reopened to the public.

MAY 5: THE Territory Wildlife Park has reopened to the public after Covid-19 caused it to close.

The park closed over the May Day long weekend due to too many staff being affected by the virus.

In a statement last week, TWP acting director Simon Ferguson said there were “not enough staff members to safely open the park to the public and also look after the day-to-day care of the animals”.

It comes as the Territory recorded a bump in cases, with 451 new positives recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday.

There were 293 cases recorded in the Top End region, 57 Central Australia, 14 in East Arnhem, 21 in the Big Rivers region, eight in the Barkly region and 58 are under investigation.

There are currently 38 patients in hospital, including seven requiring oxygen and one in the ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 2409.

APRIL 29: THE Territory Wildlife Park will be closed this weekend after multiple staff tested positive for Covid-19.

“This means there are not enough staff members to safely open the park to the public and also look after the day-to-day care of the animals,” TWP acting director Simon Ferguson said. “We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and hope to see you when we reopen on Monday 2 May.”

It comes as 428 new cases of Covid were recorded in the NT in the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday. There are 47 patients in hospital, including four requiring oxygen and two patients in ICU. The number of active cases in the NT is 2894.

APRIL 28: NT Health on Thursday recorded three deaths from Covid-19, all of whom were aged in their 80s.

It brings the Territory’s Covid-19 deathtoll to 43.

All three were from Greater Darwin who had underlying health conditions.

A man and a woman died at the Royal Darwin Hospital. A man died at the Palmerston Regional Hospital.

There were 564 cases of Covid-19 reported on Thursday, including 356 cases recorded in the Top End region, 92 in Central Australia, 12 in East Arnhem, 28 in the Big Rivers region, 10 in the Barkly region and 66 are under investigation.

50 patients were in hospital, four of whom were requiring oxygen. Two were in intensive care.

APRIL 24: THE NT has recorded 318 news Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday night, bringing the number of active cases to 3359.

There were 255 cases recorded in the Top End, 29 in Central Australia, seven in East Arnhem, eight in the Big Rivers region and six in the Barkly region, with 43 still under investigation.

There are currently 50 patients in hospital, six of whom require oxygen and one patient is in ICU but no new deaths were recorded in the most recent reporting period.

Anyone showing any symptoms of the virus is urged to get tested.

APRIL 13: A TOP End vaccination clinic will close as the fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine becomes available to certain Territorians.

The Palmerston Vaccination Clinic will close from April 30, with staff deployed to other centres.

It comes as the Territory records 513 new cases of Covid and amid rising rates of vaccination.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said as the Territory learned to live with the virus it was still important to be up to date with their vaccines.

“It is a timely reminder for many people that feel because they’ve had a dose of the vaccine or they’ve had Covid they’re done with it,.

“Unfortunately we’re seeing people get Covid for a second time and we do need to have that highly vaccinated community to keep the community safe,” she said.

Ms Fyles announced a fourth dose of the vaccine would be available for adults 65 years and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 50, residents of aged care or disability care facilities and people aged 16 years and over who are immunocompromised.

This dose will be available four months after the previous vaccination or after a Covid infection.

First, second and third doses of the vaccine can be administered as soon as Covid symptoms subside for those infected.

Ms Fyles said there was no plans to mandate a fourth dose of the vaccination yet.

“We’ll continue to work with our health team here in the Territory and also working with national groups around the latest advice,” she said.

64 per cent of those aged over 16 have now had their third dose of the vaccine.

Remote communities have also seen a surge in vaccines, with Adelaide River, Alyangula, Peppimenarti and Gapuwyjak all reaching 80 per cent of their population receiving two doses.

APRIL 2: THE Northern Territory has reported its 36th death since the pandemic began.

Authorities reported a man in his 80s from a remote Central Australian community died with the virus.

He had underlying health conditions and died at the Alice Springs Hospital.

There were 421 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Saturday.

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis took to Facebook to announce he was among those who tested positive on Friday.

“458 cases of Covid 19 today in the NT and amongst them is me,” Mr Vatskalis said, referring to Friday’s case numbers.

“I just got the PCR test result that is positive. Isolation now until next Friday.”

Mr Vatskalis said he was triple vaccinated and had only been experiencing symptoms of a “head cold” so far.

Of Saturday’s figures, 354 cases were recorded in the Top End region, 20 in Central Australia, four in East Arnhem, four in the Big Rivers region, three in the Barkly and 36 are under investigation.

There are currently 14 patients in hospital, with one patient requiring oxygen. There is one patient in intensive care.

APRIL 1: THE Territory has recorded another 458 infections of Covid-19.

It’s an increase on previous weeks of case numbers hovering around 300.

Other states and territories have been bracing in recent weeks for rising cases associated with a new, more infectious subvariant of Omicron.

Of the 458 new cases on Friday, 370 cases were recorded in the Top End region, 24 in Central Australia, nine in East Arnhem, 14 in the Big Rivers region, two in the Barkly and 39 are under investigation.

There are 19 people hospitalised with the virus, one of whom was requiring oxygen. Three people are in intensive care.

MARCH 31: Another Aboriginal man has passed after contracting Covid in the Northern Territory.

According to a government release, the 50-year-old man from a remote community in East Arnhem passed at Royal Darwin Hospital, taking the death toll to 35 since December 2021.

There are currently 22 patients in Territory hospitals, two are requiring oxygen and two are in Intensive Care Units (ICU).

There were 526 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the NT in the 24 hours to 8pm on 30 March 2022. Of these, 468 were positive cases from a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).

There were 422 cases recorded in the Top End region, 18 in Central Australia, seven in East Arnhem, 30 in the Big Rivers region, zero in the Barkly and 49 are under investigation.

There are 2529 active cases in the NT.

MARCH 30: A woman has died with Covid-19 in Royal Darwin Hospital.

The woman, who was from Darwin, had underlying health conditions.

The NT’s Covid-related death toll is now 34 since the start of the pandemic.

There were 503 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the NT in the 24 hours to 8pm on March 29. Of these, 436 were positive cases from a Rapid Antigen Test.

There were 395 cases recorded in the Top End region, 22 in Central Australia, seven in East Arnhem, 36 in the Big Rivers region, zero in the Barkly and 43 are under investigation.

There are currently 14 patients in hospital, with two patients requiring oxygen. There are two patients in ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 2369.

MARCH 28: HOSPITALISATIONS due to Covid have continued to climb, with three people still in ICU.

279 new cases were reported in the last 24-hour-period, taking the active case number to 2158.

16 people are now in hospital, but no patients are requiring oxygen.

Of the cases reported, 234 were in the Top End region, 17 in Central Australia, 10 in the Big Rivers area and one in Barkly.

There are still 17 positive results under investigation.

UPDATE MARCH 27: THE Territory’s Covid toll continues to decline with 281 new cases detected overnight.

On Sunday, Secure NT confirmed there were 2102 Territorians currently living with the virus. Fourteen people were being treated for Covid in hospital, with three in the intensive care unit. However there were no Covid patients requiring oxygen.

Nearly 80 per cent of new cases were detected in the Top End, with 223 new cases from the region. Eleven new cases were from Central Australia, three in East Arnhem, 10 in the Big Rivers region. There were zero new cases in the Barkly, but 34 positive tests are still under investigation.

The NT’s daily Covid tally has remained around the 300-mark since early March, a significant dip compared to the peak of 1383 cases in February.

UPDATE MARCH 26: TWO more people have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19, as more than 300 new cases were recorded.

There are currently 22 patients in hospital (up from 20 on Friday), with one patient requiring oxygen.

There are now two patients in ICU.

There were 306 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the NT, including 257 positives from Rapid Antigen Tests.

There were 247 cases recorded in the Top End region, 16 in Central Australia, four in East Arnhem, 12 in the Big Rivers region, one in the Barkly and 26 are under investigation.

The number of active cases in the NT is 1,972.

UPDATE MARCH 25: There were over 300 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in the NT, while the number of hospitalisations remains low.

The Territory has recorded 335 new positive cases with 292 of the infections coming from Rapid Antigen Tests.

There were 270 cases recorded in the Top End region, 31 in Central Australia, four in East Arnhem, eight in the Big Rivers region, three in the Barkly region.

A further 19 cases are under investigation.

There are currently 20 patients in hospital, with one person requiring oxygen and one patient in ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 1889.

NT man dies with Covid as isolation rules change

UPDATE MARCH 24: ANOTHER Covid death has been reported in the NT, with new cases the highest since March 8.

A man in his 70s has died with the infection at the Royal Darwin Hospital, taking the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 33.

It comes as the CHO directions for people with Covid and close contacts are changing from midday.

An additional 378 cases were reported in the past 24 hours.

There remains 18 patients in hospital, two of these requiring oxygen and one person in the ICU.

The number of active cases is 1792.

Under new directions, people who had Covid will be immune from close contact and testing requirements for 8 weeks after they leave isolation.

People with Covid and close contacts will also be able to leave isolation to drop off and pick up children at daycare, preschool and school or for other educational, recreational or health related purposes or to facilitate shared-parenting.

A person with Covid will also be permitted to leave isolation to leave the Territory.

New NT Covid cases remain above 300

UPDATE – MARCH 23: Territory has reported more than 300 new Covid cases, as the number of hospitalisations remain in the teens.

Of the new cases 291 were positive cases from a Rapid Antigen Test.

There were 240 cases recorded in the Top End region, 18 in Central Australia, three in East Arnhem, 16 in the Big Rivers region, four in the Barkly region.

The remaining 47 cases are under investigation.

There are currently 18 people in hospital, with one patient requiring oxygen and one person in ICU.

Territory records 32nd Covid-related death

UPDATE – MARCH 22: MAN in his 60s is the latest person with Covid-19 to die in the Territory, as numbers rise above 300 once again.

The man from the Greater Darwin Region had underlying health conditions and passed away at Royal Darwin Hospital.

It is the first reported death of a person with Covid in the Territory since March 8.

The total number of Covid related deaths recorded in the NT since the start of the pandemic is now at 32.

There were 341 new cases of Covid recorded in the NT, with 325 being positive cases from Rapid Antigen Tests.

There were 272 cases recorded in the Top End region, 15 in Central Australia, six in East Arnhem, seven in the Big Rivers region, four in the Barkly region.

There are also 37 cases under investigation.

There are currently 14 patients in hospital, one person requiring oxygen and one patient in ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 1577.

New Covid cases remain below 200

UPDATE – MARCH 21: Territory’s new Covid case numbers have remained below 200 for the second day in a row, with 172 cases reported on Monday.

Of these new cases 154 were positive cases from a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), following the normal weekend lull in reported numbers.

There were 128 cases recorded in the Top End region, 13 in Central Australia, two in East Arnhem, three in the Big Rivers region, and 26 are under investigation.

There are currently 16 patients in hospital, with three patients requiring oxygen. There are no patients in ICU.

The number of active cases in the NT is 1,536.