The Northern Territory is moving to calm community fears about the spread of COVID-19, focusing on low hospital admissions over the 594 new infections reported.

January 11, 2021

The Northern Territory has reported 594 new COVID-19 infections as authorities attempt to calm community fears about the spread and severity of the virus.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison focused on hospital admissions over case numbers at Tuesday’s daily briefing, saying they remain low.

“There are 32 patients in hospitals across the territory but only 11 of them are classified as acute admissions,” she told reporters.

“This represents 0.42 per cent of all active cases, which still remains low.”

Two infected patients are in the territory’s intensive care ward but only one is being treated for virus symptoms.

That is six extra patients compared to Monday when just 26 were reported as being hospitalised for COVID-19.

Most patients are understood to be Indigenous and infected with the Delta variant.

Across the NT there are about 2600 active COVID-19 infections, which equate to about one per cent of the territory’s population.

About 300 of them are in central Australia after 65 people, many in Alice Springs, tested positive overnight.

This includes five residents at the Old Timers Village aged care facility.

Ms Manison said the facility’s vaccination rate was high and none of the infected residents were showing symptoms.

“The total case count for Alice is in line with the percentage of the territory population,” she said.

“It is not surprising. It is not alarming.”

Ms Manison also urged infected Territorians to use the NT government’s COVID-19 website and online tools to declare they had tested positive after calls to its hotline tripled on Tuesday and wait times “blew out”.

Meanwhile, Yuendumu and Yuelamu, about 295km northwest of Alice Springs, remains in lockout until Saturday with another three people testing positive overnight.

It brings the total number of virus infections in low-vaccination Yuendumu to 18.

Extra health staff have been sent to the town to help with virus testing and vaccinations.

“One thing I want to say which was very disappointing was that we only saw 11 vaccinations in the last 24 hours,” Ms Manison said.

Vaccination rates remain stubbornly low in the town, with only 65 per cent of the 675 residents aged 16 and over electing to have a jab, and just 41 per cent double dosed.

Ms Manison was also forced to clarify confusion about the territory’s day-old vaccine pass.

She said only cafes and restaurants serving alcohol were required to check patrons were vaccinated, not all cafes and restaurants as some media had incorrectly reported.

Other venues that must check to see if patrons are vaccinated before serving them include pubs, cinemas, clubs and theatres.

It comes as The Tap bar on Darwin’s Mitchell Street nightlife precinct closes its doors due to staff shortages a day after the NT government relaxed quarantine rules for some essential workers but not bar staff.

“We’ve had to close for now. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we can open again in the next coming days,” the proprietors said in a social media post.

Five people have been fined $5024 each for breaching COVID-19 health directions at a protest over a business that was shut down for failing to comply with health directions.

About 70 people gathered at the Darwin business on Monday while a territory-wide lockout of unvaccinated people was in place.

The business was ordered to close on Friday after investigators found the proprietors and staff had not complied with the vaccination mandate and workers were not wearing masks.

NT Police did not specify what the activists’ breaches were but they are understood to include a failure to wear a face mask.

The NT detected 403 new cases on Monday, 481 on Sunday and 594 on Saturday.