Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Health Minister Natasha Fyles on why unvaccinated domestic travellers are allowed back to the NT, but not into high risk venues

Transcript

Health Minister Natasha Fyles on why unvaccinated domestic travellers are allowed back to the NT, but not into high risk venues · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Today's the day that those international borders open in Australia,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: with flights to arrive in Darwin and indeed Central Australia,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: allowing international tourists back into the Northern Territory if they're
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: double vaxed. It isn't the news making headlines this morning, though.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: The one which has raised eyebrows over the weekend was
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: the government announcing late on Friday afternoon, without fanfare, that
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: there would no longer be border entry requirements when entering
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Now joining me on the line is
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the Tourism and Health Minister Natasha Files.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: Good morning to your minister.
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, good morning listening.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, the changes to border arrivals on the weekend
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: effectively mean that anyone can come from interstate vaccinated or unvaccinated.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: These changes ultimately mean the Northern Territory authorities have no
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: real way now to know whether an arrival is double
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: vaccinated or not.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: Why was this decision made?
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah, o, Katie. So we had that SENSI meeting on
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: Friday around lunchtime and that's when the health advice was
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: provided from the Chief Health Officer. Omicon is now widespread
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: in the Northern Territory and so we have it in
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: our community and we're shifting those public health measures that
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: really keep the community safe from within the territory. It
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: with felt that having that border control measure, we only
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: had a very small number KD. I think it was
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: about half a dozen people who were in Howard Springs
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: because they'd entered the territory unvaccinated. Now that may rise
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: over the coming days, but we don't expect it to
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: rise hugely. Australia has a highly vaccinated population, as does
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: the territory, so this was about the health and police
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: resources using them where they can best keep the community safe.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: So just to confirm, you no longer need to be
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: double vaccinated to enter the Northern Territory from interstate correct.
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: But Katie, if you're in the territory, the same rules
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: apply to you. You can't go to a license venue, you
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: can't go to an event bigger than five hundred people,
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: you can't go to the casino. You need to prove
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: that you're vaccinated. So it's about making sure that we're
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: using those health and police resources to the greatest need.
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: But at the same time, you know acknowledging that there's
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: still public health measures within the territory to keep the
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: community say well, why.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: Why do we need to ensure that people are double
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: vaccinated then to go into a pub or to go anywhere.
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, we know that vaccine is one of the
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: best tools, particularly people that have had all doses of
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: the vaccine that they're eligible for in Victoria. And this
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: is good information research that's come out. You're thirty four
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: times more likely to end up in intensive care if
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: you're unvaccinated. So, Katie, these changes we're being proportionate. We've
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: been agile throughout the pandemic, and so the health advice
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: was that the best use of health and police resources
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: was allowing people into the territory. There is just as
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: much omicron COVID in the territory as interstates, but at
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: the same time ensuring restriction within the territory as I
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: just mentioned, So.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: How is it going to be policed, How are we
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: going to be policing then checking where the people are
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: double vaccinated as they go into pubs, as they go
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: into those licensed premises.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, and I picked up on a point that
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: you made in the intro. That's where the checking app
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: is particularly useful. So people can check in and it
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: brings up that green teak if their vaccination certificate is linked,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: so that it's in terms of making sure people are vaccinated,
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: there is that personal responsibility you need to be vaccinated
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: if you enter those venues. We appreciate the work that
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: venues do in in helping make sure patrons comply, but
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: it is up to the patrons and if they are
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: not obliging, they could base themselves with five thousand dollar fine.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: But essentially it sounds as though it's going to become
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: a business's responsibility to be checking whether everybody is vaccinated
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: or not. And that is going to add another layer
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: here if we're then allowing people to travel from inter
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: state unvaccinated.
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: To Katie again and point to the very minute numbers
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: really of people coming from interstate that are unvaccinated, and
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: they clearly have to uphold those Chow directions of being
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: vaccinated if they go into those locations. There's also measures
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: to ensure in terms of remote communities, those exclusion zones,
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: that we keep people safe, so making sure we use
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: the resources we have in a proportionate and appropriate manner.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: So will those arrivals be banned from entering remote communities
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: for fourteen days, as had been the case prior to
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: the removal of those border entry forms.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, the rules within the territory apply to everyone.
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: So if you need to be vaccinated to perform a
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: work role, that applies to you whether you're a recent
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: arrival to the territory or a long term territory the
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: same in terms of places venues that people can go to,
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: and equally with the remote communities. So it's acknowledging that
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: COVID is in the territory just as it is in
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: every other jurisdiction. Previously, we had had much lower rates
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: of COVID in the territory than into state, and that's
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: why those border measures were important.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: So just to double check that if you are unvaccinated,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: can you still go to a remote community, My.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: Understanding, Katie is no. So we've got measures in place
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: to protect our remote communities. We need to have those
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: essential workers that go to remote communities need to be
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: vaccinated to perform those roles. But I couldn't see a
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: situation where someone unvaccinated could access or you know, go
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: into a remote community.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: All right, So essentially, even if you traveling from interstate unvaccinated,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: you're not going to be heading into a remote community
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: or you're not going to be able to correct Katie.
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: So someone can come from Sydney into Darwin, but they
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: still have to have the same rules apply to them
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: as it is for a Territorian. So you know, it's
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: about as I said, we had a very small number,
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: and I point to the approximate half a dozen that
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: we're in Hard Springs late last week that were unvaccinated.
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: This is about those police and border and health resources
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: utilizing where that they should be and the border arrivals.
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: As I keep saying, Katie, there's as much COVID in
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: the territory as into state.
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: Well, and I guess this is the reason why a
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: lot of people listening this morning will be wondering why
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: are we continuing with the vaccination mandate. Look, I'm double vaccinated.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: I don't have a huge issue with it. I've still
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: got to have my booster because I've had COVID. We
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: can all see that. You know that there is that
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: need obviously for herd immunity, But are we at a
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: point now where it doesn't really make a difference if
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: somebody is vaccinated or not.
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: No, Katie, vaccine saves lives, it protects your loved ones,
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: and it is so important. Then while we're talking about vaccine, Katie,
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: it's really exciting today the Novavaks is available in the
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: territory and this is something that a very small number
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: of people wanted to wait for, that protein based vaccine.
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: But vaccine I cannot stress and our health professionals cannot
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: stress en us how important it is to be vaccinated.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: So why have we still got that mandate for workers
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: if you're allowed to travel into the Northern territory, Willy nearly.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: So there are two separate issues, Katie. So someone can
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: come into the territory unvaccinated, but we're still restricting them
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: within the territory from those high risk settings. And it
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: is important that those people in those frontline and those
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: essential worker roles are vaccinated. So someone can't come unbacked
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: into the territory and then go into those settings. Once
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: they're into the territory, the show directions that we all
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: obliged by they have to as well.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: But you can still go into Bunnings, but not a pub.
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: So Katie, that was in terms of within the territory
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: we have right now measures where we believe those higher
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: risk settings based on the health advice that you need
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: to be vaccinated, and that is following that health advice,
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: and we continue to look at that and be as
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: agile as we can, but at the same time ensuring
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: the safety of territory.
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: All right, in a lot of the other states, they
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: are now making changes to those check in systems.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: When are we going to be heading down that path?
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, is something that certainly we appreciate the efforts
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: of territorials, everybody, business owners, community members, and we don't
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: want to have unnecessary measures, but that checking out is
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: really important. It provides us with that vaccine. But also
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: if we will go to see a new strain of
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: the virus, if we were to see outbreaks, you know,
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: particular numbers, we can still utilize that information. But our
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: health professionals are certainly looking at and discussing that check
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: in and how we can be as agile as possible.
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: But the advice is presently it should.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Remain Yeah, but I mean at the moment, like I know,
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: for me, every time I go to Cohl's, every time
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: I go to Woolley's, I end up a couple of
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: days later getting an alert that there's been somebody with
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: a case of COVID at one of those locations, and
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: you don't know whether that person's in a nile near
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: you or whether they're anywhere nearby. I think we've all
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: reached the point where if we've got symptoms, we know
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: what we need to do, and we need to go
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: and get tested and isolate if indeed we do have COVID.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: But even in other situations where I've been much closer
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: to somebody who has tested positive, I let's say the gym,
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: and then it's not updated for several days.
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: Yeah, Katie, And that's the information that our health officials
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: are looking at, how can we be practicable And you know,
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: you raise some valid points there that they're certainly looking
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: into around the measures we have in place to keep
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: the community safe.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: So at this point in time, we are just keeping
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: it in place. But it sounds as though there's you know,
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: there's not really that many reasons why we need to
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: keep checking in.
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: So Katie, I've raised the points with view around why
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: we believe that the check in is important at the
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: moment on that health advice. If we were to see
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: a large outbreak, being able to get that information quickly
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: to people. But certainly the points do you raise are
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: valid and that's why throughout the pandemic we have to
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: be agile. That's why these public health measures will change.
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: And we understand the frustration of community. It's difficult at
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: times to keep up with it, but we certainly follow
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: the latest health advice and we try and message that
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: to the community.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister, those international borders open today. Are we
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: expecting an influx of travelers? Any idea how many flights
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: and how many passengers we're expecting, Yeah, Katie.
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: This is really exciting. Tourism and hospitality have been absolutely
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: devastated by the pandemic and we've provided those supports when
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: they're in lockdown and trying to get territorians out, and
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: territory LANs have done that visiting venues. We are pivoting
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: our international marketing. But we have seen international travels slowly resuming.
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: But this is a really clear message to the world
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: that Australia, the Northern Territory is open for travelers. We've
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: got that London Darwin flights, We've got a couple of
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: flights arriving in today and I understand that there will
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: be a number of passengers getting off one of those planes.
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: We've also got I'm not sure if it's arriving today,
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: but we've seen resumption of a service between Singapore and Dawen,
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: so off the back of the announcements last week with
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: the E one ninety base. This is really exciting. So
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: I know many people have waited a long time to
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: be able to see family and friends from oversea.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Minister, A message has just come through on the tech sign, Hi, Katie.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: I went to the East Drive Through Testing Clinic on
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: the weekend for a test and one of the nurses
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: said that they're going to be closing down that facility.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: Is that the case, Katie, I'm not aware of that detail.
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: That resource is really important for us and that's why
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: we've gone there, and it's a long term plan. Whether
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: there's changes in the operational hours because of the number
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: of tests, but it's important for our RAP distribution and
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: our PCR tests if people do need them. I'm happy
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: to seek some advice for you and provide some further clarity,
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: but that's.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Not my understanding, Minister.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: That code yellow at the hospital, as I understand it,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: it lifted on the weekend how is the hospital capacity
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: this morning?
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: And was it a busy weekend?
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: Oh, Katie. Our hospitals and not just Rozalin and Parmesan,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: but right across the territory has done an amazing job
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: and it's been very difficult working circumstances for them. There's
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: ppe to contend with. There's changes in roles. Someone might
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: be in a nominal role that position, you know, throughout
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: this pandemic and the high numbers of hospital cases that
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: we have seen meant they had to change roles. We
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: did see that Code Yellow enacted for the safety of
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: patients and staff last week. It did list on Friday.
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: The hospital numbers did decrease off last week. We've seen
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: the COVID taste numbers decrease over the weekends. We look
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: towards the next couple of days. We always see that
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: decrease in case numbers over the weekend and early in
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: the week. Our chief Health officer believes that our peak
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: of COVID was around the twelfth of February. So our
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: hospitals certainly has worked tirelessly ro Ozowen and Palmeerstan to
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: care for people both with COVID and without COVID and
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: we hope those numbers in case numbers territory wide, but
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: also needing hospitalization continue to decline.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: So if we've reached the peak, if that peak was
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: the twelfth of February, as you've just said there that
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: the Chief Health Officer has said, what is the plan
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: to get things like elective surgeries back in operation? How
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: soon can we expect there to be a bit of
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: a plan for things like elective surgery so that you know,
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: some of those territories that really need to get in
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: there and get that specialist treatment are able to.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: That's our absolute focus, Katie, many people particularly in those
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: categories tree and who have had surgery deferred. So we're
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: working within anti health, particularly with Palmerston Regional Hospital, getting
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: an additional theater back online, working out whether patients need
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: you know, can it be a day procedure overnight and
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: ensuring that we have that better availability so that their
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: procedures can continue. And so I certainly it's been a
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: focus for me with health of course managing COVID, but
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: you know we're moving through that, and so how can
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: we all those other health conditions that certainly don't stop
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: because there's a global pandemic how can those people get
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: their care? We know it's impacting territories every single day,
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: and for some of them it's quite a big impact.
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's having a massive impact on so many people,
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: and I think that you know that the sooner we
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: are able to get to that normality, obviously it's going
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: to be the better for those people that do require
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: that surgery. Minister, I understand that we're not going to
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: have you on the show for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately,
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: your little fella has to go away for some fairly
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: urgent emergency surgery, as I understand.
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, the family we are going to head off at
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: lunchtime today. As many of your listeners know, Henry's had
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: a long journey with his spinal cord humor. He's a
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: tough little one and so we are getting that treatment
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: and super specialized. Henry's condition is extremely rare. I just
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: like to acknowledge Rozo in hospital amongst the family having COVID,
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: Henry needed to have some urgent MRIs and that care
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: being outstanding. So I will be taking some personal leave
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: and thanks all your listeners for the support they offer us,
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: and I'll look forward to being back on not only
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: this regular segment, but week that was as soon as possible.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we look forward to having you back and all
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: the very best to Henry here. As some people know,
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: play soccer with my little girl, Brontie. He is a
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: great kid and we hope that that all goes really well.
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie. We're really grateful for all the support that
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: the family, friends and the sort of community show us,
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: and I certainly know how difficult it is for families
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: during these times and really appreciate that support.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, all the best, minister, Thanks very much for
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: your time this morning.
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: Take care,