Northern Territory regions to enter 48-hour lockdown

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced a 48-hour lockdown for Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield after the Northern Territory recorded four new locally acquired COVID-19 cases. This comes after 900 people were advised to get tested and isolate after a worker at a gold mine in Central Australia tested positive to COVID-19. “We are taking extreme action right now to stop or slow any spread before the coronavirus is let loose in the territory and that means we need a lockdown,” he said. “Effective from 1pm 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 Lichfield.” There will be five reasons to leave home including for medical treatment, essentials goods and service like groceries, essential work, one hour of exercise within 5 kilometres of home, and support for family members who cannot care for themselves. People within the locked down regions will also be required to wear masks when leaving home for one of the five permitted regions. "I cannot rule out the lockdown being longer. I cannot rule out expanding the boundaries of the lockdown. If it needs to be longer, if it needs to be wider, it will be," he said.

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