‘This is based on the evidence that they’ve had no cases from the Northern Beaches coronavirus cluster’: Health Minister

THE Territory government is revoking the Illawarra region of New South Wales as a COVID-19 hot spot

THE NT Government announced it would revoke the New South Wales region of Illawarra as a coronavirus hot spot on Wednesday afternoon.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles announced following an emergency cabinet meeting that Illawarra would not longer be classified as a COVID-19 hot spot, with people from the region in quarantine at Howard Springs able to leave on Wednesday.

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“I’m able to inform Territorians that in the next hour or so the Illawarra local government area will be lifted as a hotspot declaration,” she said.

“This is based on the evidence that they’ve had no cases from the Northern Beaches coronavirus cluster. I know people are anxiously awaiting other local government areas, but the advice from our Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie, who’s been participating in AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee) and also in contact with the New South Wales Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant today, is that it is safe to remove that hotspot declaration for the Illawarra Shire local government area. The others will remain in place.”

Illawarra, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Greater Metropolitan Sydney were declared hot spots on Sunday, December 20.

Ms Fyles said the remaining three regions and the Northern Beaches were still COVID-19 hot spots.

The Northern Beaches region was declared a hot spot by Dr Heggie on December 17 after the outbreak in the area escalated.

“The others will remain in place, so I know people are anxious around the others but for those people from the Illawarra region caught up, hat is good news for them this afternoon,” Ms Fyles said.

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“The numbers coming out of New South Wales are certainly very promising but we cannot make any rash decisions. We must look at the evidence and make sure that we act to protect Territorians.

“I understand that there is a number of people at the Howard Springs site that will be able to leave that facility, so our emergency officials will work through with them around that.”

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