The NT’s easing of hot spot quarantine rules is like the mum giving in to chocolate before bed
WE’VE gone soft. We’ve become that mum who says no to chocolate before bed but gives in after sufficient nagging
Opinion
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- Hot spot quarantiner slams service, food at Howard Springs facility
- Changes announced for NT COVID-19 quarantine
WE’VE gone soft.
We’ve become that mum who says no to chocolate before bed but gives in after sufficient nagging.
Sure, quarantine at Howard Springs isn’t easily compared to chocolate (or any food group from what we hear) but after easing quarantine requirements for arrivals coming from hot spots, the NT Government is certainly the mum in this scenario.
As of last Monday, NT authorities will take in to account the time spent outside of a hot spot immediately before a person enters the Territory.
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For example, if a person leaves the City of Sydney on September 1 and arrives in the Territory five days later, that person will only be in quarantine for nine days.
The new Chief Health Officer directions explain: This will minimise the impact of quarantine on an individual and continues to safeguard community from COVID-19 spread. This decision is based on COVID-19 having a 14 day replication cycle, which is the virus’ incubation period. Most people who are infected will develop symptoms within 14 days of infection.
But what if a person catches coronavirus on the last day they’re in a hot spot?
As Health Minister Natasha Fyles bluntly put it earlier this month, “it’s not a holiday” in reference to people complaining about the food and meal times at the former Inpex worker’s camp.
Travelling between states has become a privilege for most people, bar those who sadly have to travel because of the death of a loved one, since the coronavirus hit and by now people know the rules.
Travellers know they’ll be subject to 14 days in mandatory quarantine if they arrive in the NT, that’s old news.
You either suck it up or you don’t come.
Complicating quarantine time frames makes it more attractive for people to lie so they spend less, or no, time in quarantine.
The quarantine certainly hasn’t put people off from coming to the NT with more than 500 arrivals currently in quarantine at Howard Springs or the Mecure Alice Springs Resort. The changes to mandatory quarantine have caused concern among health experts.
Rural Doctors Association of Australia chief executive Peta Rutherford said the change could prompt more visitors to bend the rules and the general public to become complacent.
“We’ve got community transmission in parts of Australia, and we’ve already seen there are people who are trying to find loopholes in the system,” she said.
“We’re just a little bit wary of any reduction in restrictions that increases movement for the general community.”
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On Facebook, one of more than 300 commenters said: “So whats changed? There is not a vaccine yet so how is it suddenly safe to let people come here with no quarantine? WTF is going on!!”
While we don’t have “hard borders” like WA, there needs to be strict, consistent rules for people entering the NT from hot spots to ensure the dreaded pandemic remains out of the Territory.
Denise Cahill is the Head of News at the NT News
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