Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
NT starts home quarantine for residents
A Northern Territory decision to allow residents returning from interstate to isolate at home will reduce numbers in the Alice Springs quarantine facility.
July 26, 2021
Northern Territory residents returning home from interstate COVID-19 hotspots will now be allowed to quarantine at home.
The measure will help reduce the number of people staying at the Alice Springs quarantine facility, which is nearing capacity.
Only local residents with living arrangements deemed suitable by health staff for quarantining will be eligible to isolate at home.
NT Police and health staff will carry out regular checks to ensure people are complying with their 14-day quarantine orders.
A digital monitoring system has also been introduced to check that people stay at their homes.
NT Health says 17 Alice Spring residents were on Sunday released from the Todd River facility to finish their quarantine at their homes.
All tested negative for COVID-19 and were deemed to be low risk.
“These people and their residential situations have been assessed and determined to meet the strict and robust suitability requirements,” a spokeswoman said.
People travelling to the NT from hotspots have previously been required to undertake 14-days of quarantine at the Centre for National Resilience near Darwin or the Todd River facility.