People arriving in the Northern Territory after undertaking hotel quarantine interstate now face tougher protocols before returning a mandatory negative COVID test, the NT Chief Minister has announced.
Key points:
- The changes bolster the NT's current "day-three" testing rules for some arrivals
- The changes affect arrivals who have recently been in hotel quarantine
- Affected arrivals must now stay in supervised quarantine until returning a negative day-three test
The new changes will cost some travellers hundreds of dollars.
Previously, people arriving in the Northern Territory after entering hotel quarantine – for any period of time – were required to undertake a test three days after exiting hotel quarantine.
Under the previous rules, people were allowed to move freely in the community before presenting for the 'day-three' test.
But the new rules, announced by Chief Minister Michael Gunner on Thursday, mean people who arrive in the NT and need a day-three test will be required to enter supervised quarantine from the time of their arrival, until the negative result is returned.
Travellers must pay for their stay in supervised quarantine during this time, an NT Government spokesman confirmed to ABC Darwin.
In May, the NT government mandated a "day 17 test" for arrivals who had recently undertaken 14 day's hotel quarantine.
The day-17 test came in response to a Victorian outbreak that started when a man completed hotel quarantine in Adelaide before unknowingly carrying the virus over the border.
The day-17 test then introduced by the government has since been updated to the current day-three protocols.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the tightened protocols for arrivals subject to a day-three test were necessary after a recent outbreak led to lockdowns in Greater Darwin and Katherine.
"We added the day-three rule as an extra layer of protection to the Territory," he said.
"Now we are strengthening that rule to strengthen our defence against COVID-19."
Greater Darwin and Katherine were this week plunged into lockdown after a man arrived in the Northern Territory after flying from the United States to Sydney where he spent two weeks in hotel quarantine.
The man then flew to Darwin from Sydney via Canberra airport.
On Thursday, the NT government declared both Sydney and Canberra airports as COVID hotspots.
Health authorities are still investigating where the man caught the virus.
In June, both Darwin and Alice Springs entered lockdown after a mine worker became infected while in hotel quarantine for only one night in Brisbane.
The worker then flew to the Tanami mine in Central Australia, before being alerted to the hotel quarantine leak nearly a week later.
The outbreak sent 750 mine workers into lockdowns and infected at least 17 people.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTA4LTIwL250LWNvdmlkLW5ldy1kYXktdGhyZWUtdGVzdC1ydWxlcy1mb3ItdHJhdmVsbGVycy1xdWFyYW50aW5lLzEwMDM5MjkwMtIBKGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMDAzOTI5MDI?oc=5
2021-08-20 01:54:40Z
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