NT Health
The Chief Health Officer has declared Metropolitan Perth and the Peel Region of Western Australia as COVID-19 hotspots for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from 12:01am on 24 April 2021.
Additionally, the Chief Health Officer has also declared that anyone who has arrived into the Northern Territory between 17 April 2021 and 12:01am tonight, 24 April 2021, and visited any of the exposure sites on the specified dates and times as identified by the Western Australian authorities here, must self-quarantine, book a test, and remain in quarantine until a negative test is returned.
These directions follow on from a number of cases linked to a hotel quarantine facility in Perth which have led to a three-day lock-down for Metropolitan Perth and the Peel Region, effective from midnight tonight.
Health Authorities in WA have also implemented a number of public health controls to prevent the spread of COVID-19 effective from 6.00pm today.
Western Australia has recorded two cases of COVID-19 from guests undertaking hotel quarantine, and a further two community cases linked to the hotel quarantine program, one of which spent up to five days in the Peel and Perth areas while potentially infectious.
WA Health authorities confirmed late on Wednesday the virus was transmitted between guests in hotel quarantine in Perth, who were staying on the same floor, and recorded the same virus sequence despite arriving from different countries on different dates.
Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 Hotspot which currently includes Metropolitan Perth and the Peel Region of Western Australia from 12:00am on 24 April 2021 onward must undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities at a cost of $2,500 per person. Quarantine will be undertaken at the first urban centre you arrive at, including for transit.
To arrange a test, please contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484 or book online at covid19appointment.nt.gov.au. You do not need to have a COVID-19 test if you only transited to the airport unless you were at the airport during the specified date and time as identified by the Western Australian authorities here.
If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 Hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans. If you are a Territorian intending to travel to a hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans.
The Chief Health Officer will continue to review and assess the COVID-19 situation in Western Australia and will take into account COVID-19 monitoring and data collection, the extent of community transmission and risks to the NT community.
The risk of COVID-19 in our communities cannot be eliminated which is why it is important for everyone to follow all health directions.
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not travel. Make sure you get tested and stay at home.
- Maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres at all times.
- Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser regularly.
- Do not go to work if you feel sick.
- If you have symptoms, stay away from others and get tested for COVID-19.
To stay up to date with the latest information visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Chief Health Officer Dr Charles Pain
"We've been closely monitoring the emerging situation in Western Australia this week and with the three-day lock down announced this afternoon, for the health and safety of Territorians, we are declaring a hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from Perth and Peel regions.
"We are also asking anyone currently in the Northern Territory who has visited any of the WA government listed exposure sites between the specified dates and times to quarantine, book a test, and remain in self-quarantine until a negative test has been returned.
"This is the proportionate response we always aim for based on the clinical advice available to us at any given time when declaring a hotspot direction. AHPPC is meeting again this evening, if we need to adjust our position we will do so over the weekend."
