NT holds off on hot spot declaration amid Brisbane COVID concerns
TERRITORIANS intending to travel to Brisbane are being advised to rethink their plans after a hospital in the city recently went into lockdown when a doctor tested positive for COVID-19
Northern Territory
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TERRITORIANS intending to travel to Brisbane are being advised to rethink their plans after a hospital in the city recently went into lockdown when a doctor tested positive for COVID-19.
Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie attended an emergency Australian Health Protection Principal Committee meeting regarding Brisbane on Saturday evening.
It comes after the Princess Alexandra Hospital went into lockdown when a doctor recently tested positive for coronavirus after coming into contact with two patients with the highly contagious UK strain last week.
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QLD’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Saturday morning all hospitals, aged care facilities, disability homes and correctional centres in the greater Brisbane area would be closed to non-essential visitors as contact tracers scramble to prevent a larger outbreak.
Dr Heggie held off on declaring any new COVID hot spots in Brisbane on Saturday evening and instead issued a “watch and wait” update.
He said NT health authorities would continue reviewing and assessing the situation.
“I continue to monitor the emerging situation in Brisbane which at this time is contained to just one case,” he said.
“We will watch and wait while Queensland undertake their contact tracing and to see if any additional cases occur.
“We need a considered approach to incidences such as this, and based on current clinical evidence our response is proportionate at this time.”
The Brisbane doctor tested positive to low levels of the virus on Friday, and health officials say she could have been infectious while in the community on Thursday.
That afternoon she visited the Morning After Cafe in the city’s West End from 2pm to 3.15pm, Corporate Box Gym in Greenslopes from 5.45pm to 7pm and Stones Corner Hotel between 7-7.45pm.
Those three locations have been deemed high-risk venues.
Dr Heggie has issued a direction that people in the NT who have visited those high-risk locations in Brisbane, at those specified dates and times, must get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours and self-quarantine until a negative test is returned.
You can contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 008 002 to book a test.
You do not need to have a COVID-19 test if you did not attend the three high risk sites.
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If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from Brisbane and have visited an exposure site you are advised to rethink your plans.
If you are a Territorian intending to travel to Brisbane you are advised to rethink your plans.
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