Thousands in the NT asked to self-isolate after WA outbreak
THOUSANDS of people in the Territory who have recently been in WA hot spots have been ordered to self-isolate after the state’s hotel COVID-19 outbreak
Northern Territory
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- About 30 NT education staff affected by WA hot spot declaration
ABOUT two thousand people in the Northern Territory who have recently been in WA hot spots have been ordered to self-isolate — including about 30 teachers — after the state’s hotel COVID-19 outbreak.
NT Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie directed people who have travelled to the NT from Perth and the Peel and South-West regions since January 25 to immediately self-isolate and get a COVID-19 test.
Dr Heggie urged those impacted to be patient even if they had to wait several days to get tested due to high demand.
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The direction also meant about 30 Territory teachers and school staff — who recently travelled to WA — had to miss out on the first day of school yesterday.
Education Minister Laurent Moss said her department would work closely with impacted schools to ensure they had support until the teachers were tested and could return safely.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said it was now a legal requirement for those recent arrivals to stay in isolation until they test negative to COVID-19.
An NT Health spokeswoman also warned that authorities would be checking on people in self-isolation to ensure their compliance.
This follows the NT’s hot spot declaration for 47 local government areas in WA on Sunday night.
Nine travellers from WA had been sent to NT quarantine facilities as of yesterday evening.
It comes as the NT opened its border up to NSW’s remaining active COVID-19 hot spots yesterday after the state recorded 14 days without a single local virus case.
Mr Gunner revoked hot spot declarations for nine NSW local government areas yesterday, including Blacktown, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Inner West, Parramatta and Strathfield.
While most arrivals on a Qantas flight from Sydney yesterday had not been in the most recent hot spot areas, they were relieved they’d been revoked.
Darwin couple Matthew and Daniel Fox were happy to avoid another two weeks of quarantine coming home from the US via Sydney.
“It was a bit stressful with things changing all the time,” Matthew said.
“We had been in the US for two years, but it was a bit crazy over there, so we decided to come back here.”
Darwinite Sam Wilson said she was happy to avoid spending 14 days in the Howard Springs quarantine facility after flying home yesterday from a west Sydney holiday.
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“I flew to Sydney before Christmas and knew the risks, so I had back up plans when the outbreak happened, but it’s a relief to have everything open again and not have to worry about quarantine,” she said.
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