Number of travellers blocked from entering NT since Covid-19 hotspot rule change this week climbs to 35

Police have issued another 11 individual fines of more than $5000 to travellers who attempted to enter the Territory. It brings the total number of travellers from Covid-19 hotspots blocked from the NT to 35 since entry rules changed this week.

• BLOCKED: Another nine travellers refused entry NT from Covid-19 hotspots
• NT Government bans visitors using Howard Springs to gain entry interstate

A TOTAL of 35 people who travelled to the NT from COVID-19 hotspots this week have been refused entry since the Territory government banned non approved travel on Monday.

Northern Territory Police issued 11 individual fines of more than $5000 on Wednesday to travellers.

It follows 15 fines issued on Monday and nine on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, six infringements were issued in Darwin and five in Alice Springs, for failing to have an exemption in place prior to arrival as required under the Chief Health Officer directions.

Entry is now strictly prohibited from hotspots or public exposure sites, except for returning Territorians or those who have received an approved exemption to enter for the purposes of quarantining from the NT CHO.

Exemptions to enter the Northern Territory may take up to 72 hours to process.

Incident Controller Acting Commander Hege Burns said, “Travelling from declared hotspots and exposure sites to the Territory is now prohibited unless you obtain prior approval.”

He said the 11 travellers who “arrived without the necessary exemptions were then required to leave the Territory on the next available flight”.

“The border restrictions are in place to minimise travelling from hot spots and exposure sites in to the NT in order to keep all Territorians safe.”

The penalty for failing to abide by the Chief Health Officer Directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environment Health Act 2011 is $5056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au

Follow @jasmineaburke