After 256 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Wednesday, the Northern Territory of Australia conducted a lockout for unvaccinated residents.
At a press conference on Thursday, Northern Territory Prime Minister Michael Gunner said the lockout for the entire Northern Territory was valid from 1 pm Thursday to 12 pm Monday.
“People who are not completely vaccinated have the highest risk of spreading the virus and are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill if they become infected,” Gunner said.
Fully vaccinated territory, on the other hand, can lead their lives as usual if they adhere to the obligations of the new mask.
Unvaccinated residents over the age of 16 must stay at home and are only allowed to leave for treatment, necessities and services, or to assist those who are unable to support themselves.
In addition, you may not travel more than 30 km (18.4 miles) from your home unless you need medical care beyond a radius of 30 km.
Restrictions have also been tightened compared to the previous state-wide blockade, as work is no longer a reason to leave home for unvaccinated territories.
The Chief Health Officer of the Territory also determined that it was important to limit movement in the current situation. As a result, the one-hour exercise given to territrians is not considered essential for unvaccinated residents who must remain in their place of residence.
This was after the territory reopened the border to fully vaccinated interstate highway travelers on December 20, and the number of COVID-19 cases has steadily increased since then.
Of the 256 cases recorded on Wednesday, 88 were interstate highway arrivals, 19 were international arrivals, 27 were by community transmission, 10 were close contacts with known cases, and 112 were still. under investigation.
Gunner called the increase in the number of cases on Wednesday a “concern” and said the community’s prevalence has increased recently.
“The jumps yesterday and today reflect activity from Friday and Saturday nights,” he said.
“I can explain the number of cases today, but I think everyone understands that New Year’s Eve is important to many, but they are concerned.”
Gunner added that COVID-19 is often exponential. This means that when one case occurs in the community, it usually infects multiple people, and the territory needs to keep the number of cases constant.
Various mitigation measures have been taken to control the spread of the new coronavirus, most important of which is the arrival of the interstate highway, which is currently responsible for the majority of daily cases in the territory. It is a test of.
“We are discovering those incidents early,” he said. “This test remains important to control intrusions and community infections.”
He also pointed out that Maskmandate, which has been in force since Friday and should help stop the spread, needs to be supplemented, and the lockout of unvaccinated territory is this supplement.
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