NT revokes Greater Melbourne as Covid-19 hot spot

The NT has revoked its Covid-19 hot spot declaration for Greater Melbourne and replaced it with a tiered system to allow residents who haven’t been at certain exposure sites to arrive freely.

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THE NT has revoked its Covid-19 hot spot declaration for Greater Melbourne and replaced it with a tiered system to allow residents who haven’t been at certain exposure sites to arrive freely.

Chief health officer Hugh Heggie has revoked Greater Melbourne as a hotspot from 6pm on Monday night and implemented quarantine and testing directions for people who have been to a Covid-19 public exposure site in Victoria.

“It has now been 28 days since the last mystery case in Victoria and I am confident that the outbreak in that state has now been brought under control,” Dr Heggie said.

The new directions mean anyone currently in NT quarantine from Melbourne, who has not been to a Tier 1 public exposure site in Victoria, will now be able to leave.

However, anyone in quarantine who has been in a Tier 1 site since June 7 must remain in quarantine until 14 days have passed from the time the person was at the site.

Victorian health authorities have a three-tier, risk-based system for Covid-19 public exposure sites.

In line with the Victorian tier system, the NT’s chief health officer is directing:

Tier 1: Anyone who arrived in the NT after 12.01am on June 7 who has visited any of the Tier 1 public exposure sites as stipulated by Victorian health authorities at the specified dates and times must enter mandatory supervised quarantine at their first port of arrival.

Tier 2: Anyone who arrived into the NT since June 7, must self-isolate, get a test and remain in self-quarantine until a negative is returned.

Tier 3: Anyone who arrived into the NT since June 7, and until otherwise directed, must monitor your symptoms, and if any symptoms develop, immediately self-isolate, get a test and remain in self-quarantine until a negative is returned.

Any person who this direction applies to must check the Victorian Health COVID-19 case locations website at least once per day to make sure they comply if a place they have been to becomes a COVID-19 case location.

The NT first declared Melbourne a Covid-19 hot spot two weeks ago but the city’s coronavirus outbreak has since come under control, with only one new local case diagnosed in the last seven days.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles at a Covid-19 press conference outside her electorate office in Nightcliff. Picture: Natasha Emeck

This latest hot spot update comes after the NT’s Security and Emergency Subcommittee of Cabinet (SEMC) met on Monday afternoon.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said health authorities will continue to monitor the unfolding Covid-19 situations interstate.

She also encouraged Territorians to consider staying home in the NT if they can for when school holidays begin next week.

“We know many people are keen to take the opportunity to travel but just a reminder that domestic travel is not what it used to be and a hot spot could be declared at any time,” she said.

“We understand the frustration for people not having seen family or friends in some cases now for 12 to 18 months.

“So if you do travel interstate, please remember that these situations can rapidly evolve, and you may find yourself having been in an area that’s declared a hot spot and needing to go into mandatory quarantine at a cost to yourself.”

Ms Fyles advised Territorians looking to travel interstate to stay updated by regularly checking the NT Government’s coronavirus website for the latest advise on outbreaks.

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