Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles about the incoming home quarantine rules
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is the Leader of
- 0:01Speaker 1: Government Business and also Minister for Health and Tourism, Natasha Files.
- 0:05Speaker 1: Good morning to you.
- 0:07Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, Good morning listen man Minister.
- 0:09Speaker 1: I know we've just said obviously a test before you arrived,
- 0:13Speaker 1: then six more tests once people arrive in the Northern Territory.
- 0:17Speaker 1: How are these tests going to be conducted?
- 0:21Speaker 2: The Katie with weather Nation and our response to COVID nineteen,
- 0:23Speaker 2: and we're now taking the steps forward so that fully
- 0:25Speaker 2: vaccinated territories can undtake quarantine at home. And this trial
- 0:29Speaker 2: will also allow us to test the regime of COVID nineteen.
- 0:33Speaker 3: Testing, so people will get the tests.
- 0:36Speaker 2: They are covered by the Health Department, they'll have those
- 0:39Speaker 2: tests as you just mentioned, on all of those days,
- 0:42Speaker 2: and this is the.
- 0:43Speaker 3: Trial for us.
- 0:44Speaker 2: We have the testing capacity within our laboratory system, but
- 0:47Speaker 2: we want to work out the best way in which
- 0:50Speaker 2: we can deliver this testing regime, acknowledging that it will
- 0:53Speaker 2: grow in the numbers of people needing to be tested
- 0:56Speaker 2: over time, so that the process can be smooth as
- 0:58Speaker 2: possible for people quarantining.
- 1:00Speaker 3: We're not putting the community at.
- 1:01Speaker 2: Risk in the people heading out to get their testing
- 1:03Speaker 2: and we can have an efficient system.
- 1:05Speaker 1: So by the sounds of it, it's not just a
- 1:07Speaker 1: test in terms of how the home quarantine's going to work.
- 1:10Speaker 1: It's actually a test to make sure that our testing
- 1:13Speaker 1: is up to scratch.
- 1:15Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, it's not as much as I just said
- 1:17Speaker 2: the laboratory. We've got excellent capacity within our labs, but
- 1:20Speaker 2: it's the system of getting those tests off individuals with
- 1:24Speaker 2: very minimal contact of course in the community, and then
- 1:28Speaker 2: getting those results back to them. So Healths have been
- 1:31Speaker 2: working in earnest at this and we're looking forward to
- 1:34Speaker 2: the trial over the next few weeks and then going
- 1:37Speaker 2: forward providing that testing so that we can identify if
- 1:40Speaker 2: someone has become positive with COVID nineteen before they're a
- 1:43Speaker 2: risk to the community.
- 1:45Speaker 1: So will people be tested inside their own homes? Will
- 1:48Speaker 1: it be self administered or will there be somebody from
- 1:51Speaker 1: the Department of Health go around to people's houses. How's
- 1:54Speaker 1: it going to work?
- 1:56Speaker 2: So there certainly will be logistical challenges ensuring people can
- 1:59Speaker 2: compleat with the testing regime and that they get those
- 2:02Speaker 2: results quickly enough. So we're working through them. But people
- 2:04Speaker 2: will be required to go out to the testing clinics
- 2:07Speaker 2: and whether we provide them with those self test tax
- 2:11Speaker 2: Katie and they can self test and then drop that
- 2:14Speaker 2: test off. Of course, we'll always support someone that's not
- 2:16Speaker 2: feeling comfortable to do a self test that we do
- 2:20Speaker 2: want to look at how efficient we can get this system,
- 2:23Speaker 2: and of course we'll provide ways for people that don't
- 2:26Speaker 2: have access to a car to ensure that they can
- 2:29Speaker 2: comply with the testing regime.
- 2:30Speaker 1: So even though they're obviously going to be having to
- 2:34Speaker 1: stay home for those fourteen days to home quarantine, they
- 2:37Speaker 1: will be required to leave their homes to go and
- 2:40Speaker 1: get those tests done.
- 2:42Speaker 2: Yeah, so similar to anyone that has been when we're
- 2:45Speaker 2: in the lockdowns, we had reasons you could leave home.
- 2:47Speaker 2: Receiving medical care is always an acceptable reason, and also
- 2:51Speaker 2: to get either the COVID nineteen vaccine or to the
- 2:54Speaker 2: COVID test if you can leave your home. And so
- 2:57Speaker 2: we need to make sure that they don't put the
- 2:58Speaker 2: community at risk in put diticipating in the testing regime,
- 3:01Speaker 2: but that's always been a part of the system.
- 3:03Speaker 1: Obviously, we are starting with one hundred people during this trial.
- 3:07Speaker 1: That number is no doubt going to grow. Do we
- 3:10Speaker 1: have the capacity to conduct a high volume of tests
- 3:13Speaker 1: and keep up with that demand.
- 3:16Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, that's one thing. When we first started in
- 3:19Speaker 2: the pandemic and testing, that was just some hundreds of
- 3:22Speaker 2: tests that we could do a day, and our systems
- 3:24Speaker 2: shown that we can do thousands of tests than We
- 3:26Speaker 2: have continued to work with the Department of Health to
- 3:29Speaker 2: ensure there's increased capacity. So I'm confident we'll have the
- 3:32Speaker 2: laboratory testing. It's logistics around that that I'm keen to
- 3:37Speaker 2: make sure that we've got in place so that as
- 3:39Speaker 2: we move forward and have more people participating in home quarantine,
- 3:43Speaker 2: that we're able to manage that.
- 3:45Speaker 1: All right, We've got a message from one of our listeners.
- 3:47Speaker 1: It says, how on earth are they going to be
- 3:49Speaker 1: able to manage seven times more testing with open borders.
- 3:53Speaker 1: We've seen the Northern Territory government in recent outbreaks be
- 3:55Speaker 1: unable to cope with those testing needs eight our weights
- 3:59Speaker 1: three to four day to get results.
- 4:02Speaker 2: So Katie, I think that this is quite different. So
- 4:04Speaker 2: the problems that we had, I think it was back
- 4:06Speaker 2: in May when we had the Melbourne hot spot declared
- 4:09Speaker 2: and we needed a large number of people tested with
- 4:12Speaker 2: more around the systems of people entering and getting that
- 4:15Speaker 2: test rather than the actual testing laboratories. But that's why
- 4:18Speaker 2: we're starting with a trial and then we can refine
- 4:20Speaker 2: our systems so that when it's that all important testing
- 4:23Speaker 2: regime that's keeping us safe, we have confidence in the system.
- 4:27Speaker 1: So can I just clarify that the Chief Finess's office, well,
- 4:30Speaker 1: they said to us yesterday that territorians are not going
- 4:33Speaker 1: to have to pay for these tests. Can I just
- 4:35Speaker 1: clarify that that is indeed the case?
- 4:38Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, absolutely all the way through, no one's had
- 4:41Speaker 2: to pay for a COVID test.
- 4:43Speaker 3: There's a small.
- 4:45Speaker 2: Percentage of people that sometimes require a test for international
- 4:49Speaker 2: trouble and they can pay for that test, and that's
- 4:54Speaker 2: not through NTG, there's another provider. But this testing regime
- 4:57Speaker 2: is covered.
- 4:58Speaker 1: So what actually the actual areas are eligible at this
- 5:02Speaker 1: point in time. My understanding is that it's Darwin Is
- 5:04Speaker 1: and Dallas Springs is, Palmerston and the rural area also
- 5:08Speaker 1: going to be eligible.
- 5:10Speaker 2: So Katie, the Chief Minister outlines the criteria around people
- 5:14Speaker 2: that would be eligible, and I don't need to repeat those,
- 5:17Speaker 2: but an area also needs to be classified as a
- 5:19Speaker 2: high vaccination zone and that's a fortnight after it reaches
- 5:22Speaker 2: eighty percent full vaccination. So the City of Darwin should
- 5:25Speaker 2: become a high vaccination zone by the twenty third of November.
- 5:29Speaker 2: We expect Alice Springs to follow closely and then Palmerston.
- 5:33Speaker 2: So that's the criteria for a high vaccination zone which
- 5:37Speaker 2: allows people to be eligible.
- 5:38Speaker 1: All right, So by the twenty third the City of Darwin,
- 5:41Speaker 1: Alice Springs and Palmerston. What about the rural.
- 5:43Speaker 2: Area, Katie, So I should just clarify We expect Darwin
- 5:47Speaker 2: by the twenty third November. Then we expect Alice Springstown
- 5:50Speaker 2: Council to follow after that, and then Palmerston. In terms
- 5:53Speaker 2: of the rural area, we will I'll get you some
- 5:56Speaker 2: more advice and provide you on what percentages that they're
- 5:59Speaker 2: sitting out. They also, Katie, though you need to have
- 6:03Speaker 2: access to the good to go and that four G
- 6:06Speaker 2: for the system to work. So I know some areas
- 6:08Speaker 2: of the rural area have got four G and some don't.
- 6:11Speaker 2: But people can also they can stay. It doesn't have
- 6:14Speaker 2: to be their home. It can be a location that's
- 6:18Speaker 2: suitable to ensure that they can quarantine at home.
- 6:21Speaker 1: So does that mean like if the City of Darwin,
- 6:24Speaker 1: Alice Springs, Palmerston, the rural area. If we are all
- 6:27Speaker 1: at those vaccination rates at different times, does this potentially
- 6:31Speaker 1: mean that when the time comes to move to the
- 6:34Speaker 1: seven days home quarantine and then when the time comes
- 6:37Speaker 1: to move to no quarantine, that it's that different parts
- 6:42Speaker 1: of the Northern Territory are going to be moving at
- 6:44Speaker 1: different places.
- 6:46Speaker 3: So Katie, I will see some further advice in terms
- 6:50Speaker 3: of areas geographically such as Darwin, Palmerston in the rural area,
- 6:54Speaker 3: whether there'll be one cohort together for those further changes.
- 6:58Speaker 2: But I do imagine that you'll see, for example, in
- 7:01Speaker 2: the top end moving to the next steps before perhaps
- 7:04Speaker 2: remote areas, and that's not just based on vaccination rates,
- 7:08Speaker 2: but also support with the land councils for those particular areas.
- 7:14Speaker 1: All right, I've got a text from a vaccinated person
- 7:17Speaker 1: in Lichfield worried that she'll be locked out of areas
- 7:19Speaker 1: like Darwin and Palmerston if her community does not have
- 7:22Speaker 1: high enough vaccination numbers. Is that the case?
- 7:27Speaker 2: So congratulations and thank you to that individual for being
- 7:30Speaker 2: fully vaccinated. And there certainly will be as we I
- 7:33Speaker 2: feel the inevitable see COVID coming to the communities will
- 7:36Speaker 2: pivot to lock out, So people that are fully vaccinated
- 7:39Speaker 2: will be able to go about business as usual, but
- 7:41Speaker 2: if people are unvaccinated, that's when they'll start to feel
- 7:43Speaker 2: that impact of not participating in the vaccination.
- 7:47Speaker 1: Now we know as well. I believe it's the twenty
- 7:49Speaker 1: third of November that the traffic light system comes into play,
- 7:51Speaker 1: So those hot spot areas presumably would be regarded as
- 7:55Speaker 1: red zones. And then if we do see transmission in
- 7:59Speaker 1: other states or other locations, I'm assuming that, based on
- 8:02Speaker 1: the level of risk, that they may move to amber
- 8:05Speaker 1: or orange zones, and we will still have some that
- 8:08Speaker 1: are green zones. At this point in time, when you
- 8:10Speaker 1: look at that traffic light system, where would actually be
- 8:14Speaker 1: considered as a red zone.
- 8:17Speaker 2: So Katie, for example, right now Victoria would be considered
- 8:21Speaker 2: a red zone because they've still got significant case numbers,
- 8:24Speaker 2: but they have seen a decrease in recent days and
- 8:27Speaker 2: we hope that that continues. And then I think as
- 8:30Speaker 2: you step forward, you'll start to see more narrow areas
- 8:35Speaker 2: declared red, orange, and green, so you won't necessarily see
- 8:39Speaker 2: a whole jurisdiction, so you might see Melbourne Metropolitan remain
- 8:44Speaker 2: or you.
- 8:44Speaker 3: Could see the opposite.
- 8:46Speaker 2: In fact, you could see that the virus is spreading
- 8:48Speaker 2: in Regional Victoria, but Melbourne has got the high vaccination
- 8:51Speaker 2: rate and they're on top of it, and so they
- 8:54Speaker 2: could be an orange where parts of Regional Victoria could
- 8:57Speaker 2: be red zone. So we'll make sure that that information
- 9:00Speaker 2: is very clear to territorians as we shift across to
- 9:04Speaker 2: that regime.
- 9:05Speaker 1: And that's obviously so that all comes into play on
- 9:07Speaker 1: the twenty third of November, doesn't it, Katie.
- 9:11Speaker 2: I'll just get clarification on that specific date when the
- 9:13Speaker 2: traffic light system and those border changes from a hot
- 9:16Speaker 2: spot policy to the three types of travel categories for
- 9:19Speaker 2: you are there.
- 9:20Speaker 1: Now, I do want to ask. We've spoken at lengths
- 9:22Speaker 1: obviously about the impacts of border closures on tourism. Yesterday's
- 9:25Speaker 1: announcement confirmed that it's going to be incredibly difficult for
- 9:28Speaker 1: anyone to travel to the Northern Territory for a holiday
- 9:31Speaker 1: over the Christmas break. Are you worried the NT tourism
- 9:35Speaker 1: sector is going to be left behind by states which
- 9:38Speaker 1: are opening up and allowing people who are vaccinated to
- 9:41Speaker 1: travel freely.
- 9:43Speaker 2: Oh Ki, these challenges balancing the public health advice versus
- 9:48Speaker 2: the needs of the community and the impacts that we've
- 9:50Speaker 2: seen in insectors and tourisms a sector that's been hard hit.
- 9:53Speaker 2: But we do need to acknowledge that COVID is still
- 9:55Speaker 2: a real streat and we may need to make sure
- 9:57Speaker 2: we do everything practical to keep it out. But this
- 10:00Speaker 2: system what was announced yesterday, the different stages, we will
- 10:05Speaker 2: move quickly through it. But I can, of course understand
- 10:08Speaker 2: the frustration of the tourism industry, but we must remember
- 10:11Speaker 2: that COVID and the severe illness that it is is
- 10:13Speaker 2: still a threat.
- 10:14Speaker 3: To our community.
- 10:15Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, But I guess you know, at the end
- 10:17Speaker 1: of the day, we are also talking about the fact
- 10:19Speaker 1: that the people that we're allowing into the community are
- 10:22Speaker 1: double vaccinated, or they would be double vaccinated. But I
- 10:26Speaker 1: suppose there's a lot of people questioning at this point
- 10:28Speaker 1: in time, if they've gone out and made sure that
- 10:30Speaker 1: they had that vaccine, why they're not sort of being
- 10:33Speaker 1: rewarded with being able to travel freely.
- 10:37Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, It just comes back to that point that
- 10:39Speaker 2: the COVID is a real threat, and we have in
- 10:41Speaker 2: the Northern terrictory of particularly vulnerable population and so our
- 10:45Speaker 2: plans are reducing the risk as much as possible. And
- 10:48Speaker 2: I can you know different jurisdictions, but where you know,
- 10:52Speaker 2: our plans are strong. They're backed by our public health
- 10:54Speaker 2: officials and things will move quickly once we get into
- 10:58Speaker 2: this home quarantining and then hopefully reducing that and shifting
- 11:01Speaker 2: across in the end to a testing regime.
- 11:03Speaker 1: Okay. So I also want to ask a few other
- 11:05Speaker 1: questions that have come through from listeners. Are the rules
- 11:08Speaker 1: going to be the same for international travelers?
- 11:12Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, So we're expecting the repatriation flights. They do
- 11:17Speaker 2: need to quarantine at Howard Springs and that's a particularly
- 11:21Speaker 2: vulnerable cohort and they're a different regime that we work
- 11:23Speaker 2: with the Commonwealth to get those people home. There's flight scheduled, Katie,
- 11:27Speaker 2: repatriation flights through till December's my understanding. Even though international
- 11:32Speaker 2: travel will resume from next week, we still won't have
- 11:36Speaker 2: you know, regular air routes connecting the world, so to speak.
- 11:39Speaker 2: And there's people that are caught up in terms of
- 11:41Speaker 2: people coming in to the territory. The rules apply, so
- 11:46Speaker 2: they have to have that test, the negative tests before
- 11:48Speaker 2: they leave their location and then they can undertake those
- 11:53Speaker 2: two weeks home quarantine with that testing regime. We don't
- 11:56Speaker 2: have anyone understand in the first couple of weeks scheduled
- 12:00Speaker 2: off those cointus flights. But beyond that we are expecting
- 12:02Speaker 2: people to start to utilize and Darwin will be an
- 12:05Speaker 2: international destination.
- 12:06Speaker 1: All right, What about five FO workers. There are quite
- 12:09Speaker 1: a few FIVEFOUX workers who are concerned at this point
- 12:11Speaker 1: in time with those changes and how they could indeed
- 12:14Speaker 1: impact them when it comes to coming to work in
- 12:17Speaker 1: the Northern territory or traveling away for work and trying
- 12:20Speaker 1: to get home.
- 12:22Speaker 3: Oh, Katie, So this is a step forward.
- 12:23Speaker 2: So this is you know, within a period of time,
- 12:27Speaker 2: a relatively short period of time, we'll be on a
- 12:29Speaker 2: testing regime and trouble will be much easier than it
- 12:31Speaker 2: has been over the past eighteen months. So some of
- 12:35Speaker 2: the FIVEFO situations, some of the mind sights had different
- 12:38Speaker 2: COVID management plans and so that would be specifically a
- 12:41Speaker 2: question for their employer. Otherwise the rules more broadly apply.
- 12:46Speaker 2: But it's certainly a positive step forward around these changes.
- 12:49Speaker 1: Are you worried though that, you know, as the rest
- 12:53Speaker 1: of the country opens up like as Queensland obviously opens
- 12:56Speaker 1: up to New South Wales, the potential for COVID breed
- 13:00Speaker 1: is going to potentially become greater, as is the case
- 13:05Speaker 1: for other parts of Australia. I'm assuming that as they
- 13:07Speaker 1: open up to some of those spots that are indeed
- 13:10Speaker 1: regarded as hot spots right now, that we are realistically
- 13:14Speaker 1: going to be here in the Northern Territory unable to
- 13:17Speaker 1: travel anywhere else without then having to come home and
- 13:20Speaker 1: adhere to this very strict testing regime, and that we're
- 13:23Speaker 1: not going to be able to have tourists travel into
- 13:26Speaker 1: the territory or do you feel as though with this
- 13:28Speaker 1: traffic light system we're actually still going to be opened
- 13:32Speaker 1: to parts of Australia, or that those areas could increase.
- 13:36Speaker 3: So, Katie, I.
- 13:36Speaker 2: Think that that COVID is still a very real threat,
- 13:39Speaker 2: and I think these plans ensure that we're doing everything
- 13:42Speaker 2: we can to keep the territory safe, but we are
- 13:45Speaker 2: acknowledging that we need to move forward to the new
- 13:47Speaker 2: normal and that people do need to be able to
- 13:49Speaker 2: travel more freely. And I think you'll see that by
- 13:51Speaker 2: early next year we will be in that space.
- 13:55Speaker 1: But for tourism obviously that means that they are at
- 13:58Speaker 1: a real risk here over that distmas break of having
- 14:01Speaker 1: nobody in town.
- 14:04Speaker 2: So Katie, I know I probably need to keep my
- 14:05Speaker 2: comment short because Parliament is about to begin. I need
- 14:08Speaker 2: to get down to the chamber. But we certainly acknowledged
- 14:11Speaker 2: tourism as an industry and hospitality of being particularly devastated.
- 14:14Speaker 2: But we have in the territory managed to keep COVID
- 14:17Speaker 2: out and not have that community transmission, which means we
- 14:19Speaker 2: have enjoyed more freedom. So as a government, we've supported
- 14:23Speaker 2: the industry where we can our tourism vouchers out at
- 14:25Speaker 2: the moment, so we're hoping that Territorians can continue to
- 14:28Speaker 2: support the industry. And we're only you know, some weeks
- 14:32Speaker 2: a few months away from, as I just said, a
- 14:35Speaker 2: more normal travel scheduled for all of us.
- 14:37Speaker 1: All right, we are going to catch up with tourism
- 14:39Speaker 1: in just a couple of moments. Finally, I do want
- 14:41Speaker 1: to ask you, as you've just mentioned there, Parliament resumes
- 14:44Speaker 1: in the territory today. The government is introducing the Termination
- 14:47Speaker 1: of Pregnancy Law Reform Amendment Bill. It follows on from
- 14:50Speaker 1: when the reform was first introduced four years ago I
- 14:53Speaker 1: understand this bill is going to bring the territory's termination
- 14:56Speaker 1: of pregnancy laws more in line with other jurisdictions. Can
- 15:00Speaker 1: you just explain to our listeners what this is going
- 15:03Speaker 1: to mean for Territorians.
- 15:05Speaker 2: So for women and their families accessing these services, it
- 15:09Speaker 2: will acknowledge that at a particularly difficult time, we're trying
- 15:13Speaker 2: to support them and allowing them to work with their
- 15:16Speaker 2: health professionals. So the legislation allows for health professionals at
- 15:23Speaker 2: the twenty week scan Katie is a time that can
- 15:26Speaker 2: often go from joy to tragedy for individuals and their
- 15:29Speaker 2: families when fiddle abnormalodies may become apparent, and so this
- 15:32Speaker 2: allows health professionals to work with those women and provide
- 15:35Speaker 2: the best care to them. So as a parliament it
- 15:37Speaker 2: will be a conscience vote, so people can vote at
- 15:41Speaker 2: not along the party lines. And I'm confident that this
- 15:44Speaker 2: legislation it builds on those reforms from twenty seventeen. It's
- 15:48Speaker 2: feedback from the health sector and also advocates in this space,
- 15:53Speaker 2: and I believe that it allows women and their doctors
- 15:56Speaker 2: and their health professionals to make the best decisions. So
- 15:58Speaker 2: I look forward to that being intran reduce this parliamentary
- 16:01Speaker 2: fittings and debated in around a month's time.
- 16:04Speaker 1: And so how soon will it come into.
- 16:05Speaker 3: Effect, Katie.
- 16:08Speaker 2: So the legislation will be introduced into the Parliament tomorrow
- 16:12Speaker 2: and then it will be debated later this year, and
- 16:15Speaker 2: then there's normally a process of a few weeks whilst
- 16:18Speaker 2: things are gazetted. So hopefully by early next year these
- 16:21Speaker 2: changes will be in place. Of the Church of Women to.
- 16:24Speaker 1: Access all right, Health Minister, also Leader of Government, Business
- 16:28Speaker 1: and Tourism Minister Attasha Files. We appreciate your time this morning.
- 16:31Speaker 1: We'll probably see you Friday for the week that was, We'll.
- 16:34Speaker 3: Do take care.
- 16:35Speaker 1: Thank you,