Questions raised about enforceability of the NT’s new elevated COVID-19 alerts
THE Territory’s peak Aboriginal health body is calling on Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie to be more transparent about his conditions for declaring hot spots and areas of elevated alert in the NT. following new advice introduced on Sunday.
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THE Territory’s peak Aboriginal health body is calling on Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie to be more transparent about his conditions for declaring hot spots and areas of elevated alert in the NT.
Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory chief executive John Paterson said it believed community transmission should make an area a hot spot. It comes after Dr Heggie recently introduced new advice for travellers from areas of elevated COVID alert.
The Gold Coast and greater Brisbane areas were put on elevated alert on Saturday after a recent outbreak in south Queensland. It means people who arrived in the NT from those regions in the past 14 days are asked to refrain from visiting remote communities, residential aged care or disability facilities.
However, Mr Paterson said it was still unclear how the new rules would be enforced.
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“If we are serious about people from an area of high alert not going to remote communities, aged care facilities etc this needs to be in a directive from the CHO otherwise it will be ignored by too many people,” he said.
“Advice just creates confusion as we know most people don’t follow advice and it makes it look like it is not that serious and is still optional.”
An NT Health spokeswoman said the new category of alert had been created to identify areas being monitored for possible inclusion as hot spots.
“By declaring areas of elevated alert, we are reminding people to be vigilant in their behaviour as well as giving advance notice this area could become a hot spot,” she said.
“The areas of elevated alert help us to better protect our most vulnerable Territorians by making it clear that travellers to these areas should not be going to remote communities or care facilities. Any declaration is based on the risk factor rather than numbers.”
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Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he was looking closely at the situation in QLD.
“We have shown we will act quickly on the health advice to protect the Territory,” he said.
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