The UK variant strain of COVID-19 has been detected in a case at the NT Centre for National Resilience in Howard Springs.  

The 26 year old woman arrived on the repatriation flight from London on 30 December 2020 and tested positive for COVID-19 on 31 December 2020.  This case was previously reported on 2 January 2021.

The woman remains under the care of the AUSMAT team in isolation at the NT Centre for National Resilience.  

There are no other positive cases from the same flight. Passengers and air crew from the flight have been tested twice and will be re-tested again today as an extra precaution. All passengers from the flight remain at the NT Centre for National Resilience.

All genomic testing is completed interstate and results confirming the new, more infectious strain of COVID-19 were returned from the lab yesterday. This is the first time this strain has been detected in Northern Territory quarantine facilities.