This morning, the Security and Emergency Management Committee made the decision under the Northern Territory pandemic plan to lock down part of the NT community. 

Effective from 1.00pm today – the Darwin, Palmerston and Darwin rural areas will enter a full lockdown for 48 hours.

That means the local government areas of the City of Darwin, the City of Palmerston, and Litchfield.

This follows confirmation of four new covid-19 positive cases all linked to the Tanami case.

One case has been identified in New South Wales. Two positive cases are among the cohort currently isolating at the mine in the Tanami. Those two people are now being evacuated to the Centre for National Resilience.

This morning a 64 year old Palmerston man, who works at the mine, has tested positive for COVID-19. The man travelled by plane from the mine to Darwin on Friday the 25th of June and he is now under the care of the Centre for National Resilience.

Nine hundred people left the mine between the infectious period 18 and 25 June and 244 were still in the Territory.

All mine workers who travelled to Alice Springs have now been contacted and are isolating.

From the 211 who flew to Darwin 196 have been contacted and are in isolation.

From 1pm residents from Darwin, Palmerston and the rural areas must stay at home for the 48 hour lockdown period. People are only permitted to leave home for the following five reasons:

1.   Medical treatment, including COVID testing or vaccination

2.   For essential goods and services, like groceries and medications

3.   For work that is considered essential

4.   For one hour of outdoor exercise a day within 5 km from your home with one other person or people from your house

5.   To provide care and support to a family member or person who cannot support themselves.

In addition to this, there is a new direction on masks.

For everyone in the lockdown area, masks must be worn if you leave your place of residence for one of these five reasons.

Your place of residence is where you are at now.

Police will be establishing interception points to control travel in and out of these regions.

Territorians in the lockdown areas should not travel – including out of the Territory – unless it is for one of the five reasons.

Non-Territorians are permitted to leave the Territory.

If you have symptoms regardless of where you are living, you are urged to get tested, and stay isolated until you receive a negative result.

A 24-hour hotline has been established to provide information about the lockdown arrangements: 1800 193 111.

For more information including about essential workers go to coronavirus.nt.gov.au