BORDER FARCE

Stunning U-turn as Gunner quietly removes all restrictions on travelling into the NT

UNVACCINATED people are free to travel into the Territory quarantine-free after a stunning U-turn by Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

The embarrassing aboutface was made in the form of a press release late on Friday evening, with no government minister or health official fronting the media to explain the changes.

Mr Gunner and chief health officers have, for months, stood by a chief health officer direction requiring arrivals into the Territory to be double vaccinated.

The Chief Minister recently suggested mandating d ti a third booster dose for arrivals by April. But, in a press release sent out just before the weekend started, the government confirmed arrivals would no longer be required to even fill out a border declaration form.

UNVACCINATED people are free to travel into the Territory quarantine-free after a stunning U-turn by Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

The embarrassing about-face was made in the form of a press release on Friday evening, with no government minister or health official fronting the media to explain the changes.

Mr Gunner and chief health officers have, for months, stood by a chief health officer direction requiring arrivals into the Territory to be double vaccinated.

The chief minister recently suggested mandating a third booster dose for arrivals by April. But, in a press release sent out late on Friday, the government confirmed arrivals would no longer be required to even fill out a border declaration form.

NT authorities, therefore, have no way to know whether an arrival is double vaccinated or not, meaning that rule has been effectively abolished.

It was still not clear whether arrivals would be banned from entering remote communities for 14 days, as had been the case prior to the removal of border entry forms.

CLP health spokesman Bill Yan said the government had avoided scrutiny by announcing the changes via a press release.

“They had the opportunity to come out early in the day and provide an explanation, and be questioned by the media as to why they’re making those decisions,” Mr Yan said. “But they choose to hide in their offices, they don’t want to speak to Territorians.”

In a statement, Mr Gunner said Omicron was now widespread and the risk from arrivals “no longer outweighs the Covid-19 risk in the Territory”.

There were 835 cases recorded on Saturday in the NT. Of these, 736 were positive rapid antigen tests.

There were 450 cases recorded in the Top End region. Hospitalisations again fell, with only 127 people in hospital.

There are 18 patients requiring oxygen and two patients in intensive care.

There are now 6467 known active cases across the Territory.