In early January, Brisbane recorded a single local COVID-19 infection after a cleaner working in a quarantine hotel contracted the virus from the guest.
Immediately, the NT Government banned incoming flights from Brisbane, turned back planes about to land, and ordered those that had already arrived in the Territory from Brisbane into mandatory isolation.
To label this move “knee-jerk” was an understatement, with Brisbane’s COVID “outbreak” peaking at two infections – the hotel quarantine cleaner and her partner:
Last weekend, the NT Government repeated the dose for Western Australia after a single local COVID-19 infection was recorded from a quarantine outbreak:
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…
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.
WA remains a “hotspot” despite only a single positive case being recorded:
Yesterday afternoon, the NT Government has declared 10 suburbs of Melbourne a hotspot, effectively banning entry to the Territory, after a single positive case was recorded on Sunday:
From 3:30pm ACST, anyone arriving in the Northern Territory from Melbourne, West Melbourne, Noble Park, Keysborough, Springvale, Brighton, Wheelers Hill, Clayton South, Heatherton or Moorabbin will be ordered into a fortnight of mandatory quarantine.
Anyone already in the Northern Territory who has spent time in those areas since January 29 is also directed to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate until they receive a negative result…
Mr Gunner said anyone arriving in the Northern Territory from those areas by plane this afternoon would be given the option of returning to Melbourne or entering quarantine at no cost.
How can anybody have confidence to book travel to the NT when the government closes the border at the earliest opportunity any time a single local COVID-19 case is recorded interstate?
Instead of demanding taxpayer assistance from the federal government, the tourism industry should instead direct their attention to knee-jerk jurisdictions like the NT that are intent to keep state/territory borders closed and to stop Australians from travelling.
