The Top End is bracing for a surge in cases due to ‘mingling’ between two indigenous communities amid an outbreak, prompting hard lockdowns.
Northern Territory authorities are worried about a surge in Covid-19 cases in indigenous communities after nine were detected in Binjari on the outskirts of Katherine, plunging it and nearby Rockhole into hard lockdowns that are expected to last for weeks.
The nine cases were reported in Binjari, which is within the Katherine lockdown area, on Saturday: five men aged 17 to 45 and four women aged 23 to 78.
Under the strict lockdown, residents can only leave their home and yard for medical reasons or an emergency.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said on Sunday no new cases had been recorded overnight, but the 78-year-old woman had been hospitalised.
The nine cases were spread across multiple households and Mr Gunner warned many more cases may emerge.
“What’s … concerning is the evidence of substantial mingling between households in Binjari as well as mingling back and forth between Binjari and the nearby community of Rockhole,” Mr Gunner told reporters on Sunday.
“These communities have very strong personal and family connections. It probably helps to think of them more as one big household, rather than a lot of different households.
“For these reasons, we do expect numbers in Binjari and probably Rockhole to increase — and they may increase by a lot. We have to be prepared for that.
“At this stage, there is very little chance of Binjari and Rockhole exiting any form of lockdown in the next few weeks.
“For the rest of the region, I said this yesterday, I want to repeat this for repeat this Katherine residents. If and when the lockdown ends, it will not go straight back to normal.
“It will be a transition out of lockdown.”
Mr Gunner said there were still positive wastewater results from one catchment in Katherine, which was due to exit lockdown at 6pm on Monday, but a decision would be made in the morning.
“We have removed the positive cases identified in that area – it does concern us that we are getting positive readings there,” he said.
“That means it is likely there’s still a positive case, or cases in that part of Katherine that have not come forward for testing.
“What has become clear to us based on the level of movement that has been happening in some communities outside of Katherine, is there is a real risk that the virus has reached the connected communities further away.”
Given that risk, a mask mandate has been put in place for communities in areas including Barunga, Daly Waters and Pine Creek, Mr Gunner said.
The top end outbreak that plunged Katherine into lockdown, Greater Darwin into lockout and spread to the Robinson River indigenous community earlier this month, prompting a lockdown there, was sparked after a woman who had been in Melbourne did not declare it when she entered the territory then tested positive.
The Chief Minister announced on Saturday travellers would need to be fully vaccinated to enter the Northern Territory from Monday, saying people who chose not to get the jab were “no longer welcome”.
All travellers must also provide a negative test result 72 hours before they arrive.
Originally published as Nine cases in NT Indigenous community ‘intermingling’ households spark fears of many more cases
For all the latest Lifestyle News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
