NT man puts lockdown end at risk after lying about supermarket visit

The end of lockdown in the Northern Territory, scheduled for tomorrow, is in jeopardy and a man is being interrogated by police.

A man has been lambasted by the Northern Territory government and will be “interrogated” by the police after lying about his whereabouts before entering quarantine.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner revealed the state’s seventh case, a man in his 50s who spent time in the Darwin community over the weekend, including an evening at the Buff Club, had lied about his whereabouts.

The man had been under stay-at-home orders as he waited to go to the state’s quarantine facility, but visited a corner store.

“He broke the law before this happened and he lied about it,” Mr Gunner said during a late press conference on Thursday evening.

The man had been waiting to be transported to Darwin's Howard Springs quarantine facility when he illegally visited a corner store. Picture: Supplied/ NT Health

“We discovered this exposure site after continuing to interrogate and review all possible information, including interviewing contacts and reviewing CCTV footage.”

The new exposure site, the Stuart Park corner store on Westralia Street in Darwin, is now classified as a casual contact exposure site.

The man visited the store on June 27 between 12:18pm and 12:35pm, and only one person is now considered a close contact at that site.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the man lied to authorities. Picture: Che Chorley

The store is across the road from a high-traffic service centre regularly attended by vulnerable Indigenous populations, but Mr Gunner said the centre had been closed that day.

CCTV footage shows the man had been wearing a mask during his time in the store and “very few people” entered the store at the same time.

Any person who attended this site has been asked to isolate and contact authorities to arrange a test.

“Because we cannot trust all of the information that the man has given us, (we) will be doing more work today to be certain there are no other sites that we don’t yet know about,” Mr Gunner said.

“The risk is not high, but the risk is there.”

It comes after the state recorded one new case on Thursday.

The development may affect the state’s decision to ease its current lockdown. Picture: Che Chorley

The development may affect the state’s decision to ease or extend lockdown for some areas.

Darwin is currently in day four of a lockdown that is scheduled to end at 1pm on Friday.

“Depending on what we can learn tonight, this may have an impact on our decision for the lockdown tomorrow morning,” Mr Gunner said.

“I hope it won’t, but I have got to be straight with you, it might. We will keep working night and update you again in the morning.”

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