Territory Netball Stadium converted to Covid-19 testing centre as NT Health scales up facilities in response to high demand

Darwin’s main netball stadium has been converted into a new Covid-19 testing centre this weekend and pandemic clinics across the NT have had their opening hours extended in response to a surge in demand for testing.

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DARWIN’S main netball stadium will be converted into a new Covid-19 testing centre this weekend and pandemic clinics across the NT will have their opening hours extended in response to a surge in demand for testing.

The Territory Netball Stadium in Marrara will operate as a drive-through testing site from 8.30am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday, in a bid to accommodate increased demand for Covid-19 testing after the NT government declared several regions in Victoria as hot spots.

People seeking testing will need to book an appointment online, with bookings now open.

At existing testing centres in Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Palmerston, Katherine and Alice Springs, operating hours have been extended and more staff have been rostered on for the same time period.

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Acting chief health officer, Dr Charles Pain urged anyone who needed a test to make use of the extra resources on offer.

“The more testing we do, the lower the risk of Covid-19 spreading across our community,” he said.

“I would like to thank everyone for (their) patience as we work through the increased demand in calls to the Covid-19 Hotline and in booking Covid-19 tests.”

It comes after Victoria entered a seven-day lockdown on Friday in response to a growing Covid-19 cluster in the state.

The rising number of cases prompted the NT to close its border to Greater Melbourne and Bendigo from 12.05am on Thursday.

The chief health officer has ordered anyone in the NT who has spent time in either hot spot between Wednesday, May 12 and Thursday, May 27 to isolate, get a Covid-19 test and remain in self-quarantine until they receive a negative result.

Anyone who arrives in the NT from either hot spot after 12am on May 27 is required to undertake mandatory quarantine.

To book an appointment at the Territory Netball Stadium testing site, go to covid19appointment.nt.gov.au/test.