Terry Mills calls for more testing, stricter conditions for NSW and ACT arrivals to the NT

VISITORS to the Northern Territory from NSW and the ACT should be treated the same way as Victorians, according to Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills.

Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills wants more tests to be undertaken and tougher restrictions to be placed on NSW and ACT visitors to the NT ahead of the Territory’s borders reopening on Friday. Picture: Che Chorley

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VISITORS to the Northern Territory from NSW and the ACT should be treated the same way as Victorians, according to Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills.

The leader of The Territory’s newest political party said he wanted visitors to be tested prior to leaving their departure state and again upon entering the NT community.

“We fully support the closing of the border to Victoria but we say that it must now extend also to New South Wales and the ACT,” Mr Mills said.

“We need to lift our game on testing for COVID-19. We should require any traveller from a State or Territory with COVID-19 cases to take a test prior to visiting the Territory.

“Only those with a negative test should be allowed in.

“Travellers from those states should then take another COVID-19 test prior to being able to move throughout our community.”

Despite there being no community transmission of coronavirus in the NT, bar a number of members from the same family testing positive – and recovering, Mr Mills criticised the lack of testing being done in the NT compared to across the country.

“The Northern Territory, by sheer luck has managed to dodge real exposure to (coronavirus),” he said.

“The Territory has the lowest rate of testing per capita. This must lift, immediately and very least to the national average.”

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Mr Mills’ data, collated from the ABS, showed just 6.93 per cent of the Territory’s population had been tested compared to the national average of 12.1 per cent, while 16.92 per cent of Victorians had been tested.

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