Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles Wed 30 June 2021

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles Wed 30 June 2021 · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Because I know the thing that is certainly front of
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: mind this morning is the testing. It's the major concern
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: for a lot of territories right now after the government
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: announced at a press conference yesterday that there are those
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: new two new cases of COVID and a number of
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: new COVID nineteen public exposure sites. So people lined up
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: for hours yesterday. Some of them were turned away, some
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: told they need to book an appointment, some of them
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: waited for hours but still couldn't get in. Joining me
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: on the line is the Health Minister, Natasha Files. Good
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: morning to your minister. Let's try that again. Good morning
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: to your minister.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, firstly, do we know if we have any
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: new cases today?
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: So Katie, as soon as we have any new cases,
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: we will let the public know because we know that
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: importantly there may be contact locations that they need to know.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: But I do not have any new cases to update
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: you on, but testing and the laboratory. You have worked
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: around the clock to make sure the labs have gone
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: around the clock to make sure we get that information
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: as quickly as possible. So as soon as we have
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: any updates, we certainly will share it with territoriums.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Is there going to be a SEMC meeting this morning
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: as there has been over the last couple of days.
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, So semse has been meeting two and three
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: times a day, So when I finish speaking with you
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: and your listeners, I certainly will be joining that meeting.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: And then are we expecting the Chief Minister to come
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: out sort of around midday as has happened as.
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: Well, Katie.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: I haven't had confirmation that that's the plan today, but
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: you've certainly seen that over the last few days. We
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: need to make sure that territorians and we appreciate everybody
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: listening in that we appreciate the role that the media
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: is doing and getting this important information out. But what
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: I can tell you right now, Katie, is the advice
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: from yesterday around those locations and people should be heading
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: to the coronavirus website to check have they been at
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: any of those locations and what they should do from there.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Now, before we get into the testing and also the
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: vaccination roll out, can I just ask are you expecting
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: there to be more cases today and are we expecting
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: more exposure sites?
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we've done an enormous volume of testing. We
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: know that this variant of coronavirus transmits rapidly. That's why
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: we put Darwin and the greater surrounds palmerstan Lichfield into
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: that lockdown. I would expect more cases, but I do
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: not have any cases to update you on right now.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: But what I do need people to do is to
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: look at those locations to see if they possibly have contacted.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: And everyone just upholding the lockdown and why they should
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: be staying at home not going out into our community.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: All right, So at this point in time, realistically we
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: should expect more cases and potentially more exposure sites. But
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: stay in lockdown, stay calm, and just adhere to the
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: health advice that we're being given.
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: At this point, I know lots of people.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: What can I do. What you can do is just
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: followed the rules, stay in lockdown, exactly as you just said,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: look at those exposure sites, and Katie, this is a
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: really important point. These exposure sites change. The reason they
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: change is that we have an interview process and we
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: get some initial information and we want to get that
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: out there. We then go back through forensically, we look
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: at receipts, credit card statements, mobile phone bills with these
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: individuals and check that that information is in fact factual,
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: and sometimes the time frames change. We have urged absolutely
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: on the side of caution with the contact locations that
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: were in out yesterday. The health advice is that those
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: people would have been very early on in their illness,
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: with their viral loads very low. But we have urged
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: on that side of caution, noting we're dealing with such
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: a transmissible variance of the virus, and so we do
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: need people in terms of testing. And I know you'll
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: get to the testing numbers and I can talk to
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: you in a second, but we need people who only
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: genuinely need to be tested. So check those exposure sites,
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: and it's tricky. As soon as Bunnings became one, my
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: other half was like, hey, I've been at Bunny but
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: it was a different day. So that's probably a really
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: key piece of information for listeners and also the worried. Well,
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: unless you've got symptoms or you've been at those contact locations,
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: we don't need you to be tested right now, and
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: there'll be more tests over the coming days if you
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: do start to feel unwell or if more exposure sites
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: are added.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Okay, I've got quite a bit that I want to
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: get through this morning. So firstly, do you have to
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: make a booking for a test or can you just
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: turn up?
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: No, you need to make a booking, Katie. That became
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: very evident yesterday we tried to cater for people that
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: hadn't made bookings. You need to make a booking. Head
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: to the COVID nineteen website and you can do it
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: all online.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Okay, the station was taking calls from concerned territorians waiting
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: for hours and hours to get tested yesterday. The communication
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: was certainly confusing. First we were told you need a booking.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: Then the Chief Finister stood up at the press conference
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: and said that you didn't and that he would obviously
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: have the capacity or he would make sure that there
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: was those two lanes for people to get tested, and
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: that there'd be additional staff. But there were people who
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: literally waited for hours in those lines. Minister, do we
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: need more staff and maybe another location to handle all
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: of the testing that needs to happen as these exposure
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: sites grow.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we're assessing that this morning we had more
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: than seventy staff on site with multiple lanes. We need
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: people to book in for the testing so that we
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: can have their paperwork and the process can be smoother.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: I absolutely apologize to people that waited. What we did
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: do in the late afternoon early evening, when we realized
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: that we wouldn't get through everybody was police helped us
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: draw a line and we said to people behind that
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: you won't get tested today. People in front of that line,
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: we handed out some priority cards, as I understand, so
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: that they could come back this morning, and we also
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: extended our hours to be open last night to get
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: through over two thousand. That was around twenty three hundred tests, we.
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: Believe, so seventy staff.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: I know that's a massive number, and staff are working
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: over time and doing their very best to try to
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: get through everybody. D Do we actually need maybe another
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: location and additional staff, So.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: We're assessing that this morning. But the point that I
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: made earlier Katie, is that we have a lot of
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: worried well turning up to get tested. We need to
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: focus on the people that genuinely may have crossed paths
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: with this virus or people that are symptomatic, because we
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: know the virus has been in our community. I've also
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: got a message for our close contacts Katie, There's only
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: three locations at this stage that are for close contacts,
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: So that's the mine itself. That's the people that were
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: at the bus club Friday evening and people at the
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: zumba class on Saturday morning. If you have been at
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: those locations, we have identified who you are and we
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: will reach out and make sure that you get tested.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: I certainly had some contact from people that genuinely needed
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: to be tested and their frustration. So that's the message
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: for the close.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: Contact Okay, do we need to maybe extend the hours
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: that the testing clinic is happening at the moment? Do
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: we need to look at standing it up twenty four hours?
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: We'll look at that. There is capacity for bookings a
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: little while ago, there was still capacity later today, and
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: plenty of capacity tomorrow. We're in this lockdown till Friday
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: at least, and so people just need to be patient.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: It's not just getting those tests off individuals. We've got
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: significant capacity at our laboratories, but we need to make
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: sure the systems behind it flow. But we're assessing all
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: of that this morning based on the information that's coming
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: to hand around any new contacts potentially.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: Okay, how many people were tested yesterday.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: So we undertook around twenty three hundred tests at Marara alone,
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: and then we also had a few hundred at the
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: raw zaw On Hospital site, and we've also got the
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: Palmerston GP Superclinic that was undertaking testing. We have booking
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: numbers today the numbers I have earlier. We already had
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: seventeen hundred people booked in for Maurra, but there's still
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: some capacity there and there's plenty of capacity for tomorrow
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: for Moraro. So I know people want to get tested quickly.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: We're all in lockdown. You should be remaining at home anyway,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: and so if people could just be patient.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Please, Now how long is it going to take to
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: get the results back?
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: So we're saying forty eight to seventy two hours, But
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: our labs are working through that information and we're trying
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: to turn those test results around as quickly as possible, Katie.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: We've also looked at the systems that help us turn
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: that around, and Health is trying to make that as
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: efficient as possible so that there's not a lag in
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: the system somewhere that's delaying that information getting out to territory.
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess you know.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: At this point in time, presumably we need to make
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: sure that we get all of those results back, particularly
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: those who've been at those exposure sites, before we can
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: actually reopen the territory and before we can come out
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: of lockdown. Are you confident that we're going to be
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: able to get all of those people tested and all
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: of their results back by one pm on Friday.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: So that's what we're working through with our health officials
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: this morning, and that's why we need people to specifically
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: look at the advice and make sure they genuinely match
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: that that they're not as we we turn them worried
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: well who think they may have been there, or they
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: may not be feeling great and just want to get
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: tested because they know there's COVID in the community. It's
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: a very fine line, but it does have an impact
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: on our system if we have people unnecessarily getting tested.
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: Okay, Now, those additional exposure sites were added yesterday, including
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: a zumba class in Palmerston. We've been contacted by concerned
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: territorians asking if those involved in the zumba class were
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: also those who performed the warm up at the city
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: to serve on Sunday morning.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: Katie I don't have that information. So what will happen
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: is those people at the Zoomba class and the other
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: two locations, they're our close contacts and they're testing as
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: a priority. If we were to see any positive tests,
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: there would be further contact tracing that would take place,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: and so that is a priority for us testing those individuals.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: But because we're all in lockdown, we can't go back
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: and change what potentially may have happened over the weekend.
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: But we're stopping that transmission further by having this hopefully
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: a short but certainly a sharp lockdown.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: No doubt, though there have been questions asked of those
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: that were at that Zoomba class, given that it is
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: now close contact, it should be fairly straightforward whether they
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: were or weren't involved at the city to serve.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: On Sunday, okaty I said, I don't have that information
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: of where those people from the Zoomba class have been
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: and we can't preempt they haven't tested positive yet, but
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: absolutely they're testing as a priority and people there is
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: a process around where they have interviews with them whilst
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: they're awaiting test results. But what I'm saying is we
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: have to follow the transmission and we don't have any
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: positive cases from that Zoomba class yet.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister. The phone line is going absolutely berserk.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: We're getting a lot of people messaged through. A lot
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: of them obviously are waiting for extended periods of time
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: to get tested. But I have also had a few
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: people get in contact to ask about the welfare of
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: the miners at the Granite mine who are in lockdown.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: I've been sent photos and also messages about the lack
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: of food and the can conditions that they're facing at
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: the moment. Is the government providing support to the MIND
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: to ensure that they do have food and other provisions.
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: My understanding is yes, Katie. So what we have is
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: the MIND is still being operated the Mind Sight by
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: the management there, but we have sent out an MT
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: team which is a rapid response team and that has
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: both health and police, and so that's to make sure
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: that they're managing their COVID management plan for the COVID
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: safety of those miners. We have heard those health and
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: well being concerned and I understand MIND management has over
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: the last twenty four to forty eight hours put in
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: place a number of measures to try and make it
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: as comfortable as possible at that site, but we certainly
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: acknowledge it's being difficult. It's an operation that's used to
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: basically work and sleep and it's now had to pivot
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: into this COVID management situation.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Well, and you know there's quite a number of them
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: out there obviously quarantining. Should those miners who have to
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: quarantine maybe be put on a charter flight and brought
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: to Howard Springs.
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: So NT Health is managing the quarantine and the infection
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: control procedures at the site, and we've undertaken the COVID
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: nineteen testing. Anyone that tests positive will be removed from
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: the site. But those other individuals, the best thing is
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: for them to stay on that site, and that's being
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: managed by the MIND. But we're certainly making sure that
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: Welfare and Newmont, the company that owns the MIND, is
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: working with Health so that they can have some exercise
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: each day, accessing some laundry services and some of those
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: queries that have been raised around food.
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: Okay, Look, there are a lot of people who are
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: concerned about some of those close contacts being at major
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: events on the weekend. When will we have a better
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: idea if any of those close contacts i e. Those
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: who've been at the buff Club and at that Zoomba class,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: whether they were indeed at any major events on the weekend.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: So that's been the absolute priority for Health and we've
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: got police also working in with Health is contacting those
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: people that were at the bus club and the Zoomba classified.
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: Those people, we're contacting them and attempting to make contacts
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: so that we can be assured they're in isolation, get
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: their test results and prioritize those test results. So that's
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: the absolute priority for the NT Health team right now.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: We learned late yesterday the government is set to open
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: an additional vaccine hub at Marara, opening next week. Have
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: all of those spots already been booked out?
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: So Katie I was advised this morning that those spots
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: have already been booked out. So there was close to
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: a couple of thousand appointments put up and they were
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: booked out within six hours. So what we're doing now
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: is we're just working through our confirmed allocation of supply. Equally,
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: I've been working with the Commonwealth around additional supply and
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: if we can place more bookings we certainly will do.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: So what we also did Katie was we had people
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: aged fifty to fifty nine that were booked in to
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: receive AstraZeneca. Their bookings were canceled when the ATAGI help
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: advice changed around the preferred vaccine. So those people have
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: been automatically rebooked in to receive visa and we've opened
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: this up to the forty to fifty nine age group.
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: So there will be some changes in this space with
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: more bookings coming online, but we've tried to cater for
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: those people that were unfortunately caught up in the change
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: of preferred vaccine, and we certainly will work with the
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: Commonwealth to get more supply. So if people we certainly
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: share with the community when more bookings become available, and
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: if people keep checking that website.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: Okay, Minister, there's a lot of messages coming through from
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: our listeners. I want to get to at least a
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: few of those. I've got one here that says the
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: chow said yesterday to confirm infection is about a week.
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: So do people need to be retested, Like are we
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: sending casual contact people who have to isolate until a
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: negative result back out into the community without the proper
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: safeguards in place.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: No, So we're in a lockdown, and anyone that is
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: identified as a contact is in isolation until they receive
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: a negative PET. So what he means is that even
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: though we've identified some close contacts and so far they've
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: only had negative tests, that could change as the virus
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: developed in their body and their viral load lists, and
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: so what he was saying in that comment was, we're
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: not all clear yet even though we've had some negative
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: tests from some of these close contacts, that could change,
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: so be prepared for change over the coming days.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Okay, another one here they're asked all that says, well,
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: hang on, sorry, They're just they're coming through so fast
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: that I'm losing them. Then there's one here that says
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: I was in the line at testing for two hours.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: I was lucky as I arrived at one pm. But
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: the Chief Finister stated there were two lanes for dropping.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: There was never two lanes for dropping, as the staff
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: were not aware of this. Chief Minister needs to make
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: sure it's in place before saying it at a press conference.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: The staff were fantastic. My mate was in line for
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: six hours until nine thirty last night.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Katie. I've acknowledged that we were overwhelmed yesterday. We put
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: in place mechanisms late in the day to try and
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: care for those people that had waited for significant periods
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: of time. But that I think that highlights that people
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: need to really look at the contact information. They really
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: need to make sure that they're unwell. We don't need
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: unnecessarily people getting tested, but we're assessing the situation. I've
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: been out to Maura this morning and yes, there was
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: a significant number of cars, but that was before the
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: facility had opened. Once those facility was opened and the
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: lanes were going through and flowing, hopefully we'll see a
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: different situation with people making sure they're booked in. But
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: we'll assess that this morning and if we need to
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: make further decisions, we will.
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: Okay there, Like I said, there's a lot coming through.
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: Another one.
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: Hi, Katie, I'm being told that GPS are refusing face
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: to face appointments at the moment.
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: Is this indeed the case?
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: But Katie, you are able to leave your home to
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: seek medical treatment. I think that's really important. Now. If
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: GPS have pivoted to a situation where they're trying to
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: use telehealth, that would be a decision of the GP
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: provider and telehealth can be an excellent tool in actually
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: assessing an illness remotely and making sure that the individual
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: doesn't need to travel from their home and lessen the risk.
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: But that would be a question for individual health providers.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: But you can leave your home in the lockdown to
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: seek medical treatment, and our essential workers such as frontline
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: health staff, can also leave the home to work.
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: Minista, I don't want to sound like a broken record.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: We've got a lot more messages coming through about that testing,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: so I understand that you know that, really we want
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: to make it incredibly clear for people right now. You
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: must make a booking. You must stay in isolation at
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: this point, regardless or in lockdown, regardless of whether you
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: need a test or not. But you really do need
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: to make a booking.
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: Minister.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: I know that you said that you are assessing this today,
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: but the reality here is surely we want as many
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: people tested as possible, whether they've been to those exposure
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: sites or whether they do have symptoms, so that we
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: can make sure that this thing isn't spreading into the community.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: Is it time for us to just bite the bullish
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: and either put more staff on or open up another location.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: So Katie, there's plenty of vaccination booking. Sorry, there's plenty
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: of COVID testing booking appointments tomorrow. Now people, I can understand.
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: People are at home, they're in isolation, they just want
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: to get that test done. But we need to prioritize
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: those people that are genuinely close contacts. But there is
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: there is capacity, it might not just be in the
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: timeframe that you want, and so that's why it's so
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: important that you go to COVID nineteen appointment dot NT
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: dot gov, dot a youth, make that booking and don't
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: head tomorrow until it is your time for a booking.
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: Don't think, oh, if I'm just there, I might get
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: in the queue. And so I had a look before
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: coming on air. There was plenty of bookings for tomorrow.
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: So it might be that you just have to stay
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: at home today and then you can get that test
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: done tomorrow.
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: Minister.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: The other thing that we're getting loudly and clearly on
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: the text line this morning another message saying I'd definitely
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: be isolating. The zomba at the rex Endure in Parmeston
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: on Saturday morning was deemed high risk and everyone there
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: needs to self isolate they were the same Zoombra instructors
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: that were at the start of the four kilometers at
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: the City to Serve. Now, I really don't want to
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: be responsible here in Scaremonger, but I do want to
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: make sure that we are asking this question and that
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: we're able to get clarity on it.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: So Katie, you've asked the question, and what I have
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: explained is that the Zoomba class is a close contact,
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: so those individuals are in isolation and getting tested. Any
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: household members of a close contact should also isolate separately
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: from the individual until that contact test result has hopefully
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: come back negative. I will certainly make sure when we
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: get off air that health officials are aware that there
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: is an understanding from the community that some people at
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: that Zoomba class were at another event. But I also
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: need to remind people that we have urged on the
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: side of caution with those contacts. The health authorities believe
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: the viral load was very, very low. Those people tested
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: positive after that, and so we're urging on that side
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: of caution. But I certainly hear the feedback from your
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: listeners and I'll pass that straight on.
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: To Health Health Minister Natasha Files. We appreciate your time
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: this morning. No doubt we'll probably be talking to you
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: every day until this thing is sorted. We really appreciate
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: you speaking to us. I know it's a busy day ahead.
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you.