Lajamanu man tests positive to Covid-19, caught virus in Katherine

Images from on the ground at Lajamanu show the incredible effort the community went to after the positive case was dubbed a legend. SEE THE PICTURES

UPDATE 11.58AM FRIDAY: The positive case from Lajamanu has been heralded a “hero” by the Chief Minister.

It is understood the man caught the virus at a health clinic in Katherine where he went to get his second vaccination.

He caught the bus from Lajamanu on November 15, meaning the positive result was caught late in his infection.

“This man was a model citizen. I will go as far to describe him as a hero,” Mr Gunner said.

“He did everything right — he was double vaxxed, he wore mask everywhere, using hand sanitiser and using the check in app wherever he went.”

Testing efforts in Lajamanu. Picture: NT Health

The 45-year-old man was confirmed a positive case yesterday morning and was the first case from Lajamanu following a sudden lockdown on Saturday night.

Mr Gunner said his actions could be what helped his community from enduring an outbreak of the virus.

“He is the legend from Lajamanu. His conscientious and cautious behaviour has certainly slowed spread and possibly stopped it altogether.”

“This is proof one person doing the right thing can genuinely save lives,” he said.

Testing efforts in Lajamanu. Picture: NT Health

UPDATE 11.23AM THURSDAY: A SECOND person has been admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital and is on oxygen as they fight Covid-19.

The details of the person are yet to be known but its understood they are receiving acute level care in the RDH but are not in the ICU.

It comes after Chief Minister Michael Gunner revealed on Wednesday that one person was receiving care in RDH after testing positive to Covid-19.

There are currently 60 positive coronavirus cases in the Northern Territory.

On Thursday, deputy chief health officer Charles Pain said genomic testing had come back for one of the cases announced on Wednesday.

One of the flight crew from London tested positive for the Delta strain of Covid-19, not the new Omicron, he said.

Testing efforts in Lajamanu. Picture: NT Health

UPDATE 11.10AM THURSDAY: A MAN from a remote community has tested positive to Covid-19.

The 45-year-old man from Lajamanu was double-vaccinated but received a positive test result on Thursday morning.

He will be transferred to the Centre for National Resilience, as will his 13 close contacts.

There are now 203 close contacts within the cluster.

However, the Lajamanu community will remain in a lockout, rather than return to a lockdown, as the latest wastewater testing returned negative results again.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the man’s viral load appeared to be “quite low”.

“This isn’t the best news, we were hoping that there was no cases in Lajamanu but we have this case,” she said.

There have been more than 700 Covid-19 tests completed in Lajamanu.

Deputy chief health officer Charles Pain asked the community to remain patient as more tests were needed.

Nearly everyone has been tested, he said, and this was the first positive case.

“Clearly we don’t have widespread transmission," he said.

He also thanked community members for coming forward to get vaccinated as there was a “large uptake”.

Health workers are struggling to find people in the community who haven’t received their first dose of the vaccine, he said.

Health authorities are now trying to link the man’s case with cases in Binjari and Katherine.

Meanwhile, Robinson River has been declared Covid-19-free.

In Binjari, the hard lockdown has been lifted and a normal lockdown has come into place.

This means residents may now leave their homes for five reasons: medical treatment including Covid testing or vaccination, for essential goods and services, essential work, exercise for one our within 5km of home, and to provide care and support for someone who cannot support themselves.

EARLIER: HEALTH Minister Natasha Fyles will provide a Covid-19 update on Thursday morning, a day after the Top End’s latest cluster added one new case.

The cluster currently stands at 59 cases.

Katherine and surrounds remain in a lock out, while the nearby Binjari community is in a hard lockdown.

Ms Fyles is also expected to provide an update on the three teenagers who were caught allegedly absconding from the Howard Springs quarantine facility on Wednesday morning.

Their alleged escape caused a massive police hunt, and they were picked up outside of Palmerston.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Chief Minister Michael Gunner revealed his family had been the subject of death threats.

More to come.

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Originally published as Lajamanu man tests positive to Covid-19, caught virus in Katherine