The Northern Territory has detected 1004 new COVID-19 cases and hospitals have cancelled elective surgery to make room for more virus patients.

February 4, 2022

The Northern Territory has reported 1004 new COVID-19 cases as hospitals cancel elective surgery to make room for more virus patients.

More infected Territorians were admitted to hospital overnight, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 148 on Friday, up from 141 a day earlier.

Sixteen of these require oxygen and six “are really sick receiving acute care in an (intensive care unit)”, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said.

“These are the people we are seriously worried about.”

Mr Gunner warned the number of infected patients in intensive care would rise over the next few days.

“For this reason in line with other jurisdictions we are pausing elective and day surgery in our hospitals to help our clinicians manage the current COVID cases and prepare for a potential increase in the next few weeks,” he said.

Mr Gunner also called out “people, some with very loud voices, who would like you to think that every case of COVID is a catastrophe and everybody should be taken out of their home and put into a hospital”.

“Their heart is in the right place but a response like that would be the medical equivalent of panic buying.”

He defended his government’s handling of the pandemic, saying it had delayed the virus’s arrival and given Territorians the opportunity to get vaccinated.

“We now have widespread transmission of Omicron throughout the territory just as we expected and we are managing it,” he said.

“If we treated every positive case as acute then the people who are actually seriously ill … would not get the care they need.”

There’s been a storm of criticism from Aboriginal groups over the Gunner government’s pandemic response in remote communities, where case numbers have skyrocketed since Omicron arrived over Christmas.

Multiple communities remain locked-in or locked down in difficult conditions, such as overcrowded housing.

The situation has been made worse by wet season flooding that has cut roads and left many running short of basic supplies, including food.

There are 7094 active cases in the territory, with Mr Gunner saying, “at least those are the ones that we know about”.

“There are no doubt more than that.”

Meanwhile, the Opposition says it is “baffled” the Gunner government allegedly refused a request from NT Foodbank in Alice Springs for essential supplies, which have been running low after the highway and train line from South Australia were both cut by flooding.

Spokesman Josh Burgoyne said the Commonwealth had agreed to provide support so long as Territory Controller Jamie Chalker approved it.

But Mr Chalker said it was not required as the supply chain was flowing again and people were able to access basic foods.

Mr Burgoyne also alleged that the NT government department Territory Families had ignored Mr Chalker’s order “not to panic buy, or stockpile” and “bought out most of the supplies” in central Australia.

Mr Chalker labelled it “selfish buying” but did not address the allegation.

The NT reported 1217 new infections on Wednesday and 1279 on Thursday, after that day’s case total was revised up from 977 announced earlier.

Two people have died in recent days bringing the territory’s virus death toll to four.

Mr Gunner also announced the reintroduction of financial support for NT businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic.

He said many people were afraid of the virus and choosing “to lock themselves down out of an abundance of caution”.

The support includes a three month payroll tax rebate, grants of up to $3000 and utility bill reductions.