Darwin's snap lockdown is extended until Friday as Chief Minister announces a growing list of exposure venues and hundreds of close contacts forced into isolation
- Lockdown in Darwin extended to Friday after more exposure sites emerged
- Darwin, Litchfield & Palmerston councils plunged into lockdown at 1pm Sunday
- NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said lockdown was essential to limit spreading
- There is one new confirmed case of Covid-19 in the Top End, a man in his 50s
Darwin's snap lockdown has been extended until Friday as miners infected with the Indian Delta variant expose hundreds to coronavirus.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner plunged Darwin, Litchfield, and Palmerston into a 48-hour 'circuit-breaker' lockdown from 1pm on Sunday.
However, after one new cases was detected on Monday, after four on Sunday infected by the original patient, he extended it for another three days.
The new case, a man in his 50s, flew into Darwin from the Granites gold mine in the Tanami Desert, where the workers were infected, on June 25.
He spent 36 hours in Darwin before testing positive and was moved to the Howard Springs quarantine centre.
Seven friends at a home in Rapid Creek are close contacts are also in isolation.
Darwin's Covid lockdown is extended until Friday after Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced a growing list of exposure venues, with hundreds of close contacts forced into isolation
City of Darwin, City of Palmerston, Litchfield, Wagait Shire and Belyuen Shire, and Darwin Waterfront will all stay into lockdown until Friday at 1pm (pictured a woman getting a Covid test in Darwin)
After the positive case was confirmed, it was announced City of Darwin, City of Palmerston, Litchfield, Wagait Shire, Belyuen Shire and Darwin Waterfront will all stay in lockdown, according to Northern Territory News.
The Buff Club, in Stuart Park, has been identified as a high risk exposure site, with anyone who attended the venue on Friday, June 25 between 5.30pm and 8pm urged to self-isolate immediately.
The BWS bottle shop in Parap and a Bunnings in Coconut Grove are both deemed casual contact sites, with Darwin International Airport a low risk site.
'First, I thank Territorians for their extraordinary response. I know the lockdown came as a shock,' Mr Gunner said in the press conference.
'I know we didn't give you much notice. There was a good reason given the risk, we couldn't afford to wait hours before acting. We (all) did an incredible job staying home, masking up, getting on with it. Thank you.
'We have spent the (Monday) morning reviewing all information that has come in overnight.
'Based on the information, we have made the decision that we need to extend the lockdown for a further 72 hours. That means for Darwin Palms and rural areas, the lockdown is extended to 1pm on Friday (July 2).
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'It is absolutely necessary as the reality is we are not out of the woods yet. Not by a long way. The risk to the community has grown in the past 24 hours. We are now in an extremely critical period. We must stay in lockdown.
'Since the last update on Sunday, we have confirmed one new positive case of Covid-19 in the Territory.
'What greatly concerns us is the potential for exposure to others. He is a man in his 50s, who left the (gold) mine site on Friday the 25th. He has a close contact of an earlier case.
'There are three tiers for exposure sites. Close contact sites, casual contact sites, and low-risk sites. There is one public close contact exposure site. This makes it a high-risk location.
'If you are a close contact for the Buff Club site, you are under a stay-at-home order for the next 14 days. That is absolutely 14 days at home.
'Right now we believe there will be as many as 150 close contacts from the site. The five reasons for leaving your house are not available to you. You must stay in your residence for 14 days.
'To the second tier sites. The casual contact exposure sites. There are two. The first casual contact site is the BWS store in Parap. The relevant period is Friday 25 June between 4pm and 4:10pm. The man did not leave his car.
The lockdown in the NT was extended until Friday after Darwin, Litchfield and Palmerston councils were plunged into a 48-hour circuit-breaker lockdown from 1pm Sunday (pictured, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner)
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner (right) during a tour of the Howard Springs Quarantine Facility in Darwin back in April
Usually busy streets in the Territory are currently deserted after the lockdown was extended until Friday, July 2
'The second casual contact site is the Bunnings store on Bagot Road, Saturday June 26, between 10am and 10:15am.
'Again, if you were on-site during this period, you are required to immediately isolate and get tested until you return a negative test.
'Finally, there is one low risk exposure site. That is the Darwin (International) Airport.
'This related positive case was detected in Queensland on Sunday.
'She arrived on the charter flight Friday, June 25th. Unlike the other positive cases, she did spend an extended period of time inside the airport.
'But she stayed inside the airport, and did not go into the community. Her viral load was considered low during this time and she wore a mask while in the airport as required.
'Everyone at the airport was wearing masks so the risk of spread there was low.'
