‘It could happen here too’: Chief Health Officer, Chief Minister warn Territorians not to be complacent
THE NT’s most senior health officer says South Australia’s COVID-19 outbreak should serve as a warning to Territorians not to become complacent.
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THE NT’s most senior health officer says South Australia’s COVID-19 outbreak should serve as a warning to Territorians not to become complacent.
Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie issued the warning on Monday after the news broke that the NT would immediately slam its border with SA shut while the virus-hit state deals with its worst cluster yet.
“The risk is that if the virus comes here, it will spread very quickly and I am deeply concerned that we are too complacent,” Dr Heggie said.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner echoed his comments and said the SA outbreak showed just how quickly situations could change.
“If it can happen in SA, it can happen here too,” he said.
“We don’t want our sacrifice to be wasted because we slacked off. Keep the distance. Wash your hands. Stay home and get tested if you’re sick.”
Mr Gunner said the NT had to be cautious and declare the whole of SA a COVID-19 hotspot and not just Adelaide while health authorities worked to determined the scale of the outbreak.
The border closure with South Australia has thrown travel plans into disarray for people planning to come to the Territory, with planeloads of people from SA sent into 14-day mandatory quarantine on Monday.
The Chief Minister said due to the late notice, arrivals into the NT from SA on Monday and Tuesday would not be required to pay the $2500 mandatory quarantine fee.
Almost 40,000 South Australian residents have flocked to the Northern Territory since the borders opened on July 17.
This includes more than 3,000 who have already arrived this month.
“For those who are going to be caught up in this, I am sorry,” Mr Gunner said.
“No one wants this, but it has to be done.”
The border closure has also thrown Christmas plans into disarray for ex-South Australian Territorians who had planned to go home for Christmas.
It has also meant South Australians planning to see family and friends in the Territory for Christmas may now have to change plans.
The Chief Minister has again urged Territorians to reconsider their holiday plans.
“Throughout this crisis, we have warned that things can change quickly and that anytime you leave the Territory there is some level of risk,” he said.
“If you leave the Territory, this Christmas, plan to have to have a spare 14 days up your sleeve, plan to have a spare $2500 up your sleeve or plan to be able to stay where you are for longer if you need to, a hotspot could happen at any time.”
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It is not known how long the NT/SA border closure will be in place; however, when a similar cluster occurred in Sydney in July, the NT border was closed to Greater Sydney for three months.
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