The Northern Territory is waking to a weekend free from lockdown after a COVID-19 outbreak at mine that brought the Top End close to the “edge of the cliff”.

July 3, 2021

The Northern Territory is waking lockdown-free after a COVID outbreak at a central Australian mine brought the Top End to a standstill for a week.

Authorities were faced with a “nightmare scenario” as the pandemic came perilously close to vulnerable Aboriginal communities, Chief Minister Michael Gunner says.

“There were times over the weekend when we thought that might become real,” he said referring to an outbreak in Alice Springs town camps or amongst Darwin’s many so-called long grassers.

“I don’t think we can underestimate how close the Territory came to the edge of the cliff this week.

“We knew COVID was in our community but we didn’t know how bad it was or how far it had spread.

“Inaction could have been devastating.”

The crisis started seven days ago when a young Victorian worker, who travelled to Newmont’s Granites Mine about 540km northwest of Alice Springs via a Brisbane quarantine hotel, tested positive.

More than 700 workers were immediately ordered to isolate as authorities scrambled to track 800 more who had flown to homes around Australia after the infected miner arrived on June 18.

About 250 fly-in, fly-out workers have since travelled to Western Australia, 170 to Queensland, 29 to South Australia and six to Victoria.

Three headed for Tasmania and two to New Zealand, with 259 remaining in the Top End.

In all, 18 cases were linked to the outbreak.

Two infected workers were diagnosed at the mine and evacuated to the National Centre for Resilience quarantine facility in Howard Springs, along with the original case.

Another mineworker, who’d travelled to NSW, was found to be positive, as were two co-workers who flew to Queensland, along with a close contact of one.

Two more were diagnosed in Darwin along with the wife of one of the men and their daughter. All quarantined at the Howard Springs facility when they tested positive.

Another miner triggered Alice Spring’s lockdown after spending the best part of a day at the town’s airport on June 25 waiting for a flight to Adelaide.

He’s since infected five family members, including a baby, who was diagnosed with the virus on Friday.

Mr Gunner has since said health authorities were confident the man wasn’t infectious while at Alice Springs airport, prompting the stay-home order for the town to be lifted a day early.

Darwin went into lockdown on Sunday with plans to lift it on Friday after it was extended for 72-hours.

But that was thrown into jeopardy late Thursday after it was revealed another infected miner had allegedly lied to authorities about how much time he’d spent in the Darwin community before being ordered to quarantine.

The man in his 50s travelled to multiple venues, including a popular bar and restaurant for more than four hours.

But he allegedly failed to tell workers he’d breached a health direction to stay at home while he waited to be transferred to Howard Springs.

A furious Mr Gunner told reporters the man had allegedly visited a supermarket to buy cigarettes, with the site immediately listed as a public exposure site.

Authorities identified 49 casual contacts from the store, tested and isolated them with all resuts coming back negative on Friday.

The Top End wastewater results were also negative, with a jubilant Mr Gunner saying it had given health officials confidence to end the lockdown.

“It is over. I know it’s been a bit of a wild ride but we are really happy with what’s come through overnight,” he said

“You can head out for a beer and a meal, see loved ones, all the things that feel really special to us.

“The Territory this weekend is going to feel extra, extra special. Enjoy it.”

However, he cautioned the community to remain vigilant and safe, as face masks and social distancing were ordered for a further seven days.