Bagot woman dies in RDH ICU

A WOMAN from the Bagot community has died from Covid-19, becoming the second person to succumb to the virus.

The Aboriginal woman in her 40s had been “very unwell” in the ICU at the Royal Darwin Hospital for days, Acting Health Minister Nicole Manison said.

Although she was fully vaccinated, the woman also had underlying health conditions that may have contributed to her death, Ms Manison said.

“But, sadly, despite all the efforts, she has passed, so I’d like to send my deepest condolences to her family, to the Bagot community, because we know that they will be hurting right now,” she said.

“I also want to send out my thanks and also sympathy to the staff in the ICU because we know that they worked incredibly hard here.”

Acting chief health officer Charles Pain said his thoughts went to her family and community, while stressing vaccination was still the Territory’s “best defence”.

“We will see, unfortunately, occasionally people who have been vaccinated who will succumb to this illness,” Dr Pain said.

“The booster doses are our best extra defence against this disease and particularly the Omicron variant.”

He said the woman had received both of the main vaccine doses but had not had the opportunity to have her booster dose.

At the press conference on Saturday, it was unknown which variant of Covid-19 she had.

The death came as the Territory recorded 412 new cases of the virus on Saturday, with 32 people in hospital.

There are about 3730 active cases in the NT, and about half of those are people aged between 20 and 39.

There were a further two cases in Yuendumu, bringing the community’s total to 45.

Of those, 14 people are isolating in the community.

Yuendumu had continued to line up for vaccinations with the community’s vax rate now at 81 per cent first dose, Ms Manison said.

However, Yuendumu and Yuelamu will remain in a lockout until Thursday.

There were four cases in Yirrkala and NT Health has sent an additional six health workers to the community to help with testing.