Darwin will go into lockdown after NT records four cases
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Darwin will go into a snap lockdown after the Northern Territory recorded four new Covid-19 cases linked to an outbreak at a gold mine, bringing the total number of infections to five.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner told reporters at a press conference that residents in Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield will enter lockdown for 48 hours from 1pm on Sunday.
‘We are assuming the worst,’ Mr Gunner said.
‘We are expecting more cases. There is a stronger chance that any new cases will have exposure sites which makes the job of tracing and testing much bigger.’
NT health authorities believe the latest cases are the highly-infectious Indian Delta variant, prompting Mr Gunner to impose a series of rules that are tougher than restrictions in Sydney – which now has 112 local cases.
Residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for five reasons, including medical treatment and Covid testing, to buy groceries, go to work if it is considered essential, or to care for sick family members.
Territorians will only be allowed to exercise for one hour a day with one other person they live with, and they will not be allowed to travel further than 5km away from home.
‘For everyone in the lockdown area, if you leave your place of residence for one of the five reasons you must wear a mask,’ Mr Gunner said.
‘Your ordinary place of residence is where you are now. If you own more than one house, it is where you currently are.
‘There will be poised to control flow in and out of these regions. NT citizens should not travel, including out of the territory.’
More to come
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