Unvaccinated travellers banned from entering the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory will become the second jurisdiction in Australia to ban unvaccinated arrivals from entering, with only limited exceptions, under sweeping changes to border rules announced on Saturday.
Only children under the age of 12, NT residents, a small number of essential personnel and people arriving on compassionate grounds will be able to access an exemption under some of the country's strictest rules, which will come into effect on Monday.
"Previously, arriving from a green zone you didn't have to be vaccinated," Chief Minister Michael Gunner said on Saturday.
"On Monday that route is closed."
Mr Gunner said the small number of unvaccinated travellers would still need to isolate on arrival and get tested.
"It makes no sense for Territorians to do the right thing and get the jab only for us to keep letting in people from interstate who have not yet done the right thing," he said.
The new policy comes as the Northern Territory records one new case of coronavirus.
A 31-year-old fully vaccinated Aboriginal woman from the remote community of Robinson River tested positive to COVID-19 while in quarantine, taking the Territory's cluster total to 26.
It also reflects the Territory's government's embrace of vaccination requirements as "the way out" of strict lockdowns.
Mr Gunner said the current outbreak, stemming from an unvaccinated arrival from Queensland, was a reminder to stay vigilant.
"If we had stopped her from entering the Territory based on her vaccination status or if we had tested her on arrival, there would be no spread of COVID 19," Mr Gunner said.
"COVID would not have made it into Katherine and it would not have made it into a remote community.
"We wouldn't have an elderly Aboriginal woman in hospital on oxygen right now. A three-week-old baby would not have the virus: no outbreak, no lockdowns, no lockouts, no masks.
"If you're eligible to be vaccinated, and you are not fully vaccinated, you are no longer welcome in the Territory, no matter where you're coming from."
Mr Gunner said fines would be issued to people who arrived at the airport without proof of being fully vaccinated, and if you "rock up at a road border, you'll be turned around".
New home quarantine rules
From Monday, the Territory will also shift to a shorter, seven-day home quarantine system for fully vaccinated people arriving from red zones.
This weekend marks the end of the Territory's month-long, 14-day, home quarantine pilot trial for fully vaccinated arrivals from red zones, which Mr Gunner said had "gone better than expected".
If all goes well over the next couple of weeks, the Chief Minister says home quarantine may be abolished entirely one month earlier than predicted.
"Keeping fully vaccinated people from red zones in home quarantine for two weeks would not have stopped our latest outbreak," Mr Gunner said.
"Our pilot program has taught us that so long as arrivals from red zones are fully vaccinated, get tested before they come here and get tested again after they arrived here, the risk of spread in the Territory is very low."
Arrivals will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival and they will be required to take a rapid antigen test at the airport.
Like in the pilot, people will be able to quarantine in a household as long as everyone is fully vaccinated.
Those people will be able to go about their lives as normal and will no longer be required to get tests.
"The fact that we now are able to rapidly test people on arrival makes a big difference to the risk matrix," Mr Gunner said.
"We are now confident that the testing regime for the person quarantining is solid enough and regular enough that we can isolate any household contacts extremely quickly in the event of a positive case."
The above is from an ABC article. Below is the NT government's update from their coronavirus website:
Keeping Territorians Safe: Updated Roadmap to Reopening
20 November 2021
The Territory Labor Government is strengthening its roadmap to keep Territorians safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19 as we transition to reopening.
Three changes will come into effect from next week:
1) Stopping interstate arrivals who are not fully-vaccinated:
From Monday 22 November, anyone travelling to the Territory must be fully-vaccinated, regardless of where they are travelling from.
Currently, unvaccinated arrivals from red zones are banned from entering the Territory. From Monday, that will apply to arrivals from any location – including green zones.
The only exemptions for unvaccinated arrivals from green zones will be for returning Territorians, extremely limited essential personnel and some compassionate grounds. These approved arrivals will be required to test and isolate on arrival.
2) Seven-day home quarantine for arrivals from red zones:
From Monday 22 November, the Territory will introduce seven-day home quarantine for fully-vaccinated arrivals from red zones.
This follows a successful 14-day home quarantine pilot program.
To be eligible for seven-day home quarantine, fully-vaccinated travellers must:
- Have returned a negative COVID PCR test within 72 hours of coming to the Territory;
- Take a rapid antigen test on arrival at the airport, or at the first regional centre if travelling by road;
- Undertake seven days of home quarantine in an approved dwelling in a high vaccination zone;
- Get tested on day five of quarantine, and days eight and fourteen after exiting quarantine;
- Stay in the high vaccination zone in the week after exiting quarantine, but stay away from high-risk areas such as aged care, health care (except as needed) and correctional facilities; and
- Use the Go to Go app.
Like in the pilot, people in home quarantine can stay with other fully-vaccinated members of a household, however the hosts will not have to undertake the same testing regime – they can continue to work and go about their lives.
3) Rapid antigen testing for arrivals from red zones:
From Monday 22 November, rapid antigen testing will be stood up at all Territory airports that receive interstate flights as well as regional centres with arrivals by road. These tests will be used for fully-vaccinated arrivals from red zones.
From 20 December, the Territory will introduce rapid antigen testing for all fully-vaccinated arrivals into the Territory. Home quarantine for fully-vaccinated arrivals from red zones will end five days before Christmas, but an ongoing testing requirement will continue.
As usual, unvaccinated people from red zones are not permitted into the Territory. Returning Territorians and those with approved exemptions must enter supervised quarantine for 14 days at their own expense.
