A male worker at the Granites gold mine (pictured) north-west of Alice Springs has sparked COVID-19 contract tracing of some 900 people in Central Australia and elsewhere.
He arrived from Brisbane on June 18 and has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from SecureNT.
The man travelled on a charter flight to the Newmont Corporation mine in the Tanami Desert on Friday, June 18.
It is believed he became infected during an overnight stay at a Brisbane quarantine hotel, says the statement.
“He is asymptomatic and well and is under the care of NT Health and is being transferred to the Centre for National Resilience.
“Contact tracing has commenced for people known to have left the mine since June 18 and taken charter flights to Darwin, Alice Springs, Perth and Brisbane. All have been contacted and directed to isolate and test immediately.
“If they are unable to isolate in a suitable place, those in the NT will be directed to either the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs or the Todd Facility at Alice Springs.
“It is critical that everyone in the NT is checking in and providing their contact details when visiting businesses and venues or participating in events as this is pivotal for our health teams to be able to quickly undertake contact tracing,” says the statement.
The total number of cases diagnosed in the Northern Territory is 179. All cases have been related to international or interstate travel, with no cases of community transmission.
PHOTO: The truck circled in red indicates the size of a Granites mine pit pictured in 2014.
UPDATE June 27, 1am
The NT Government is working around the clock to undertake contact tracing on the 900 people known to have left the mine for Darwin, Alice Springs, Brisbane and Perth since June 18, according to a SecureNT statement.
Of those 900 people, 244 are in the Territory. This includes 33 people who arrived in Alice Springs and 211 who arrived in Darwin.
Of these 244 people, 20 are considered to be close contacts and they have all been contacted and are now in secure quarantine.
One person is undertaking their quarantine in the Todd Facility in Alice Springs, while another 19 people have been transferred into the Centre for National Resilience [in Howard Springs].
Contact has been made with the remaining people, and NT Health staff and police are following up by phone and personal visits. Contact has also been made with people interstate who have been identified as close contacts.
Additional resources have been directed to the contact tracing effort to make sure we get every single person in quarantine, says SecureNT.
“The risk of COVID-19 in our communities cannot be eliminated which is why it is important for everyone to follow all health directions: Book your vaccine; if you have symptoms, stay away from others and get tested; wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser regularly; do not go to work if you feel sick; maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres where possible.”
I thought The Granites was an underground mine? That pic looks like the Superpit in Kalgoorlie.
[ED – The Granites id both underground and open cut.]
I’ve just tried to navigate the coronavirus.nt.gov.au website to book myself to get the vaccine.
It reminded me of the Kinston Trio song ‘M.T.A.'(‘The Man who never returned’).
I guess I’ll have to ring them in the morning.
“It is critical that everyone in the NT is checking in and providing their contact details … as this is pivotal for our health teams to be able to quickly undertake contact tracing,” says the statement.
Yep, I book in as directed. But you never have to book out! No wonder the contact tracers have their work cut out for them.
Yet another government mismanagement of COVID-19. When will Gunner actually take it seriously?
The link provided here is just to the COVID information page on the NTG website. The actual website for bookings is this.