Gunner Government plans to extend public health emergency by 90 days

The Territory government has revealed its intentions to extend the NT’s public health emergency.

THE NT government has announced its plans to extend its public health emergency for an additional 90 days.

Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie said: “The Territory is the safest place in the world, except the Moon.”

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said in the upcoming parliament sittings the Gunner government would introduce a bill to amend the Public and Environmental Health Act 2011.

It would then put to a vote in parliament in May.

It follows a push by the CLP and industry figures for the chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie to provide

This will provide transitional powers to the chief health officer to manage a pandemic emergency for up to two years following the revocation of the emergency declaration.

“In the past, public health emergencies have consisted mostly of natural disasters such as cyclones and floods and lasted five days,” she said.

“But due to the severity of the pandemic, the Territory Labor Government extended the Act for the declaration to last for a period of 90 days.”

Originally published as Gunner Government plans to extend public health emergency by 90 days