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Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let's get straight into it, because the Health Minister, Natasha
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Files joins us on the line right now.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Good morning to your minister.
• 0:07
  Speaker 3: Good morning, Katie. Good morning, isn't it.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: So restrictions lifting at mid day today?
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  Speaker 3: Filesy, Yes, Katie, I think Territorian's top enders will be
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: pleased to hear that both Darwin and Catherine the restrictions
• 0:19
  Speaker 3: will be lifted from mean today, And Katie is based
• 0:21
  Speaker 3: on the fact that we've had no further cases and
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: we have also had daily wastewater testing in Greater Darwin
• 0:27
  Speaker 3: and Catrine that has all been negative. So I'm sure
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: Territorians will be pleased that those remaining restrictions have been lifted.
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: But we do just need to remind people that we
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: are seeing the COVID nineteen pandemic spread on that eastern
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: seaboard and we should take steps to protect ourselves, whether
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: it's getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distances, or getting tested if
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: we're not feeling well.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Now we know that obviously this delta strain is pretty concerning.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: It's something like you've just pointed out that is running
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: rife in other states. To call it just ringing and
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: ask do we know yet if that case that obviously
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  Speaker 1: kicks things off here in the territory if it was
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: a false positive test or what was the situation with it.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: Oh, the test involving the individual was a confirmed positive
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  Speaker 3: test of the Delta strain of coronavirus. The outstanding information
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: is where he caught that virus from. But no, it
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  Speaker 3: certainly was a very real threat to the Northern territory.
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  Speaker 3: We had someone infectious in our community, both in Darwin
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  Speaker 3: and Catherine, and so do.
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  Speaker 2: We know is there still no idea where he caught
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: it from?
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  Speaker 3: Okatie. I understand that he's still being worked through around
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: where he perhaps picked up the virus, and that's not unusual.
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  Speaker 3: We're seeing, I guess, on that Eastern Seaboard multiple cases
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: where the source of infection is unknown concerning. But it
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  Speaker 3: was certainly a confirmed case of COVID nineteen.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: And so are those hot spots declarations obviously for the
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Canberra and SID the airport's still in place at this.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: Point, yes, Katie, So we've still got a hotspot declaration
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: for the whole of New South Wales, including Sydney and
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: Sydney Airport. For the Australian Capital Territory including the Canberra
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: Airport and for all of Victoria. So it is very
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: concerning those case numbers coming out of those states and
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  Speaker 3: we will keep those measures in place to keep our
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: community faith.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Now we see restrictions lifting today, does that mean that
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  Speaker 1: our gyms are able to get back to normal and
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: also our markets.
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: Yes, Katie, So those remaining restrictions, which was wearing a
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: mask if you couldn't physical distance the gyms, the dance
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: flaws are gathering being limited to ten people. Those restrictions
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: will now lift, but we do remind people, as I
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: just said, if you sick, get tested, stay away from
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: others and try and maintain that physical distance. But yes,
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: those remaining restrictions are listing as of midday today.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: Now what about Catherine. What's happening for Catherine?
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah, no, you have a number of listeners in Catherine,
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  Speaker 3: and we certainly haven't forgotten about them, and so they
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: obviously went into lockdown. The lockdown was held a day
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: longer because of the infectivity. The person was infectious on
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: that Sunday in Catherine. But they have too had negative
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: waste water testing results and so Catherine, those restrictions will
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: ease it a listing Catherine at midday today.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Oh good stuff.
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  Speaker 1: But obviously we're still wanting people to check in with
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  Speaker 1: their COVID checking app and and like you said earlier,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: maintain that social distancing. So we still want to make
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: sure that we're doing those things because we know what's
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: going on in the other states.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: Katie, that checking oup is one of the best tools
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: where we do have a case to us quickly getting
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: the information. So please check in when you're out and about.
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: We had a record day last week late last week
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  Speaker 3: with over two hundred and sixty thousand check ins. We've
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: had over fourteen million check ins since the app was launched,
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  Speaker 3: So just whip your phone out, check in as you
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: move about the community, and that really helps us quickly
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: get in touch with you if we do see any
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: potential cases in the territory.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Now another big step which is being taken today, and
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  Speaker 1: this is something that you and I spoke about earlier
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: in the week and a lot of people were pretty
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: confused as to why they couldn't get their kids over
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: the age of twelve vaccinated here in Darwin.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: But well that's all changing.
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  Speaker 1: That vaccine rollout is now taking that step forward with
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  Speaker 1: every territory and aged twelve and above now eligible to
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: book their appointment.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: Correct, Katie, So, once again the Northern Territory is leading
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: the nation and this is based on the advice that
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  Speaker 3: we have a particularly vulnerable population here in the territory.
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  Speaker 3: We have a young population and so anyone aged over
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  Speaker 3: twelve is now able to book for their COVID nineteen vaccine.
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  Speaker 3: And importantly, Katie, from September, the vaccine will be provided
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: to students in our middle and senior schools. Of course,
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  Speaker 3: parents will be informed we need consents, but we're trying
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  Speaker 3: to make it as easy for territory families for their
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  Speaker 3: kids to get vaccinated as possible.
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  Speaker 1: So at this point in time, though any parent can
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  Speaker 1: obviously book their kids in a clinic themselves or at
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  Speaker 1: any of those you know gps themselves, but there will
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: be the school program.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: Is that right, correct, Katie. So parents can choose to
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: go to a participating GP, they can go to one
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: of our vaccine hubs, or we will deliver the vaccine
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: through our schools. Our school based nurses are working with
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  Speaker 3: Principles to have an individual plan for each school. You're
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: eleven and twelve students, Katie, will be prioritized to ensure
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: that there's no destruction to their studies and final exams.
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: So we've had over two hundred thousand doses of the
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: vaccine delivered in the territory. Sixty percent of territories have
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: had a first dose and this is an important step forward.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: So I do.
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  Speaker 3: Encourage parents to have a discussion with their teenagers about
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: the importance. Make sure that they're fully informed. But a
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: great opportunity to protect themselves and their loved one.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: Now, a very quick question from one of our listeners.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: We know you pressed for time this morning, but a
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: very quick question one here, Katie, can you please ask
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  Speaker 1: the Health Minister if all the interstate people up here
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: on holidays are also getting the JAB and they included
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: now numbers.
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  Speaker 3: So Katie, it is really important that people understand the
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  Speaker 3: vaccines available for everybody. You don't have to hold a
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: Medicare card, you don't have to be an Australian citizen.
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: It's so important in terms of the figures. We've got
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  Speaker 3: two hundred thousand doses have been a minister. If someone
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: is visiting from interstate and they're due for their dose,
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: we will provide that to them. We want everybody that's
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: in our community to vaccinated.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: There is certainly a lot happening around the place.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Like I said, I know that you are very busy
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: this morning, so we appreciate your time, appreciate you coming
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: on the show and I think we've got you on
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: tomorrow as well.
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: For the week that was hopefully looking forward to.
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: It will be good stuff. Thank you. That is the
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Minister for Health. They Natasha Files