NT declares Brisbane International Airport a venue of concern for COVID-19

The NT has declared Brisbane International Airport a venue of concern for coronavirus and certain travellers — if currently in the Territory — must get a COVID-19 test in the next 72 hours and must remain in self-quarantine until a negative test is returned.

THE NT Chief Health Officer has advised anyone currently in the Territory who was in Brisbane International Airport between 9.45am and 12 noon on Thursday, April 29 to monitor their symptoms and to get a COVID-19 test immediately if they feel unwell.

Brisbane Airport confirmed there was ‘human error’ involved in the incident. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Brisbane International Terminal is a separate building to the Brisbane Domestic Terminal. Territory Chief Health Officer, Dr Charles Pain, also declared the Hudson Café, in the Brisbane International Terminal, as an exposure site.

Anyone in the Territory, who visited this exposure site between 9.45am and 12 noon on Thursday, must get a COVID-19 test in the next 72 hours and must remain in self-quarantine until a negative test is returned.

This decision comes off the back of Queensland Health declaring the Brisbane International Terminal as a venue of concern.

This direction is linked to two passengers who arrived from Port Moresby on Thursday and mingled with passengers bound for New Zealand.

“The risk of Territorians being infected is low, however we are still taking precautions to ensure the ongoing health and safety of Territorians,” Dr Pain said.

“This incident has highlighted the importance of wearing masks at airports, we ask people to wear masks in terminals at all times. We have kept this direction in place and we need people to comply.”

To arrange a test, people are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484 or book online at covid19appointment.nt.gov.au.