The Chief Health Officer will declare Metropolitan Perth, the Peel Region and the South West Region of Western Australia as COVID-19 Hotspots for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from 7.30pm on 31 January 2021.
This follows on from a male security guard who works in a Perth hotel quarantine facility testing positive to COVID-19. There are four active COVID-19 cases at the quarantine facility, including two cases with the UK variant strain and one case with the South African variant strain. These mutant strains are known to be highly contagious.
Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 Hotspot 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.
Any person who has arrived in the Northern Territory between 25 January and 31 January 2021 from a declared hotspot in WA must have a COVID-19 test and undertake self-quarantine until a negative test is returned. Please contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 008 002 for further instructions and to book a test. You do not need to have a COVID-19 test if you only transited to the airport. For information about declared hotspots, call the Border Restrictions Hotline on 1800 490 484.
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 across 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 Hugh Heggie
“We are taking all precautions and declaring Metropolitan Perth, the Peel Region and the South West Region of Western Australia as COVID-19 Hotspots as part of our commitment to go hard and wide early.
“Western Australia is treating this situation very seriously with Metropolitan Perth, the Peel Region and the South West Region going into a five day, full lockdown effective from 6pm tonight.
“There is the potential for the positive hotel quarantine case in WA to be a highly contagious mutant strain of the virus. For this reason, we are taking swift action while we wait and see what happens in Western Australia over their lockdown period.
“The decisions made in the coming days will be critical as public health controls are implemented and COVID-19 community testing is increased.
“I will be monitoring the situation in WA closely and will continue to take all appropriate actions to protect the health and safety of Territorians.”