Tested marines to remain isolated for fortnight
NATASHA EMECK
THE fourth and final wave of US marines has landed in Darwin, while results of their COVID-19 tests are still pending.
US Marines spokeswoman First Lieutenant Bridget
Glynn said a contingent of about 200 arrived by plane at RAAF Base Darwin on Friday evening, bringing the number of arrivals to 1200.
“The marines underwent biosecurity testing and were tested for COVID-19 before being transported to their quarantine quarters (at Robertson Barracks),” she said.
She said the results of those 200 tests were pending as of Sunday.
It comes after a 21-yearold, who was part of the marines’ third wave of arrivals, tested positive for COVID-19 about two weeks ago.
The infected marine is being cared for at Royal Darwin Hospital.
“All marines went straight to their quarantine facilities from arrival and will remain there for 14 days to ensure the health and safety of the local community,” Lt Glynn said. “MRF-D (Marine Rotational Force Darwin) continues to work with NT Health and the ADF to ensure we are strictly following all health and safety measures.”
Bases in Okinawa, Japan, where most of the marines in Darwin have arrived from, have remained in lockdown this month as a result of a coronavirus outbreak.
Inquiry ‘vital’ for farmers QUEENSLAND’S top farmAgforce Reef task force ing lobby says a highly charged chairman Alex Stubbs said the Senate inquiry is the “last hearings were vital to ensure chance” to ensure the agriculefforts to care for the Reef also ture industry can coexist with a protected farming families and healthy Great Barrier Reef. the economy. “For decades,
The Rural and Regional Afour pleas to the state governfairs and Transport Committee ment to check the science bekicks off two days of hearings hind the proposed Reef in Brisbane this morning probregulations have been ignored ing the science behind laws – this is our last chance for justhat regulate farming practices tice for farmers,” he said. in a bid to protect the Reef. “We implore the Queens
Farmers have criticised the land Government to heed the laws for being based on unresults of this inquiry to safeproven science and increasing guard the state’s $15 billion their costs. agriculture industry.”