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

0:00
Speaker 1: Now.
0:00
Speaker 2: Yesterday, as I said, we were absolutely inundated with calls
0:04
Speaker 2: from many of you who were stuck in that line
0:06
Speaker 2: out out at Marra waiting for a COVID test and
0:11
Speaker 2: well you'd either been at an exposure site. We'd heard
0:13
Speaker 2: from a number of people who'd been at the Buff
0:16
Speaker 2: Club for example, or you'll may be a casual contact.
0:19
Speaker 2: Now Territorian's turned out in droves to get tested. And
0:23
Speaker 2: joining me on the line right now is the Health
0:25
Speaker 2: Minister Natasha Files.
0:26
Speaker 1: Good morning, Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
0:30
Speaker 3: Minister.
0:30
Speaker 2: How is that line for testing at Marara looking today, Katie.
0:35
Speaker 1: I haven't been out there this morning, but I understand
0:37
Speaker 1: we tested over two thousand people yesterday and we've got
0:41
Speaker 1: a clear message for people that we have refined our systems.
0:45
Speaker 1: We've got additional staff out there, we have provided porterlooth
0:49
Speaker 1: and cleaners to clean them. We don't want to create
0:52
Speaker 1: an infection hazard inadvertently, but we really need people to
0:56
Speaker 1: make sure that they need to be tested. If you
0:58
Speaker 1: are unwell, of course you should be tested, and please
1:02
Speaker 1: look at those contact locations again. I was talking to
1:04
Speaker 1: someone yesterday who hadn't been at one of the locations,
1:07
Speaker 1: but felt they should be tested, and we really need
1:09
Speaker 1: those people to not be tested please at this stage,
1:13
Speaker 1: because it's actually causing a hindrance to this system rather
1:16
Speaker 1: than being helpful. So that's our clear advice, and we
1:19
Speaker 1: certainly appreciate the efforts of territorians and we understand the frustrations,
1:24
Speaker 1: but we need people to be tested only that fall
1:28
Speaker 1: into those categories.
1:30
Speaker 2: Okay, So two thousand people tested yesterday? How many does
1:33
Speaker 2: that mean since this lockdown began? O.
1:37
Speaker 1: Katie, I can't chip up with the days this week.
1:39
Speaker 1: We've certainly tested thousands. We have our laboratories have really responded,
1:45
Speaker 1: our staff out there, so want to thank everyone on
1:47
Speaker 1: the front line. Happy to get you a specific figure,
1:49
Speaker 1: but it's certainly been over two thousand each day this week,
1:52
Speaker 1: is my understanding.
1:53
Speaker 3: Okay, So well, goodness mate.
1:56
Speaker 2: That means that we'd be looking at around six thousand
1:58
Speaker 2: by the end of today if we continue at the
2:00
Speaker 2: well more actually around eight thousand if we continue at
2:02
Speaker 2: that rate.
2:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, Katie, and I know that on Tuesday it was
2:06
Speaker 1: two thousand, six hundred territory wide. So we've clearly got
2:09
Speaker 1: alice springs as well, which we've got the resources there
2:13
Speaker 1: to do around one thousand tests a day, so you know,
2:16
Speaker 1: we've got health teams and those people supporting them right
2:19
Speaker 1: across the territory working very hard, and we just appreciate
2:23
Speaker 1: people's patients and just double checking that information that you
2:25
Speaker 1: really do need to be tested.
2:27
Speaker 3: Now, just to.
2:27
Speaker 2: Get down to it, though, have all of those Buff
2:30
Speaker 2: Club contacts now been now been tested?
2:35
Speaker 1: Katie? The understanding I have is that all of the
2:38
Speaker 1: Buff Club and the Zumba class people have been identified
2:41
Speaker 1: and they are in isolation and have been tested. Now.
2:44
Speaker 1: We do need to remember that this is a contact
2:46
Speaker 1: tracing exercise, so there could be more names added, but
2:50
Speaker 1: our health officials are working through that. But everyone that
2:52
Speaker 1: has been identified has been tested today.
2:56
Speaker 2: Okay, have the results come back yet for all of
2:58
Speaker 2: those close contacts at those exposure sites i e.
3:01
Speaker 3: The Buff Club and Zomba.
3:04
Speaker 1: So, Katie, I'll be heading into another meeting as soon
3:07
Speaker 1: as I get off air to you and I'll be
3:09
Speaker 1: provided with a further update. But the information I have
3:12
Speaker 1: is as those are all negative to date, but of
3:15
Speaker 1: course there's results coming in very regularly from the laboratories
3:18
Speaker 1: and health.
3:19
Speaker 2: Okay, yesterday I asked about that Zoomber Class and their
3:21
Speaker 2: potential involvement in the warm up to the city to serve.
3:25
Speaker 3: Have you had any clarity there?
3:28
Speaker 1: So, Ktie, those Zoomber class people to date have tested negative.
3:33
Speaker 1: If they were to t test positive, any individuals that
3:36
Speaker 1: would then step up the next layer of that contact
3:39
Speaker 1: tracing process. So the advice I've got from Health is
3:42
Speaker 1: that there is no further exposure sites identified or people
3:46
Speaker 1: that should be worried about spread to date, and of
3:49
Speaker 1: course we're working to get all those results back as
3:51
Speaker 1: quickly as possible, and if we were to see any
3:53
Speaker 1: positive cases, it would go from there.
3:55
Speaker 2: Minister, I know that a lot of people are certainly
3:59
Speaker 2: real hoping that this lockdown does lift tomorrow at one o'clock.
4:04
Speaker 2: But I'm assuming that there's a couple of big things
4:06
Speaker 2: that we're going to be looking out for, and that
4:08
Speaker 2: is no new cases and also making sure that everybody
4:13
Speaker 2: who needs to be tested is tested.
4:15
Speaker 3: Is that right?
4:17
Speaker 1: So, Katie, part of the reason why we called the
4:20
Speaker 1: lockdown was so that we could identify those close contacts
4:23
Speaker 1: and get them in isolation. So that has been achieved.
4:26
Speaker 1: So even if we and we also need to remember
4:29
Speaker 1: back to the Chief Health Officer's advice those parmesan locations particularly.
4:33
Speaker 1: We don't believe that the individuals that have now tested
4:36
Speaker 1: positive were inspectious at that time, but we're we're being
4:39
Speaker 1: very cautious. So even if we do see more positive cases,
4:43
Speaker 1: if they haven't been in the community, if they've been
4:45
Speaker 1: in Needa Howard Springs isolation, that reduces the risks to
4:49
Speaker 1: our community. So that's what we'll be looking for. Well,
4:52
Speaker 1: as I said, going to briefings after this interview, and
4:54
Speaker 1: I expect the Chief Minister will provide an update to
4:57
Speaker 1: territorians and some clarity around that law down are hopefully lifting.
5:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, we have been told by his office hopefully at
5:04
Speaker 2: eleven thirty this morning we will see another one of
5:07
Speaker 2: those press conferences and get a better idea. But Minister,
5:10
Speaker 2: are you hopeful that that lockdown will still lift tomorrow
5:14
Speaker 2: at one o'clock Katie?
5:16
Speaker 1: As I said, I will wait to be briefed by
5:18
Speaker 1: Health this morning and the Chief Minister will make that
5:20
Speaker 1: information available. But what we've seen this sharp response in
5:24
Speaker 1: terms of getting these people identified and into isolation and quarantine.
5:28
Speaker 1: It has worked. It's given our contact traces time. And
5:31
Speaker 1: as I said, even if we are to see more
5:33
Speaker 1: positive cases come out in the coming days. The likelihood
5:37
Speaker 1: of those people being infectious if they are these contacts
5:41
Speaker 1: is the risk to the community is very low because
5:43
Speaker 1: they've been in isolation, not Howard's breaks, and that's what
5:45
Speaker 1: you aim to achieve from a lockdown. Some individuals, Katie,
5:49
Speaker 1: those close contacts, unfortunately have to stay in quarantine for
5:54
Speaker 1: fourteen days because they could go from being initially a
5:57
Speaker 1: negative test to a positive tests. But that is as
6:01
Speaker 1: their viral load lifts and the virus becomes present and
6:04
Speaker 1: they become infectious. But the broader community is protected because
6:07
Speaker 1: they're in isolation.
6:09
Speaker 2: Okay, we have got some messages coming through this morning.
6:11
Speaker 2: There's one here that says, hey, Katie, I'm in line
6:14
Speaker 2: again day three to get tested. We had an appointment,
6:18
Speaker 2: but that means nothing. No one's checking if we've got
6:21
Speaker 2: an appointment. And also I can't see the toilets or water.
6:26
Speaker 1: So Katie, I'll pass on that feedback. But the advice
6:28
Speaker 1: I had yesterday from the Territory Control of the Police
6:30
Speaker 1: Commissioner was that as you entered the site and joined
6:33
Speaker 1: that to you were being checked one. Did you have
6:36
Speaker 1: an appointment? And I've also asked for the process to
6:40
Speaker 1: include do you genuinely need an appointment, because some people
6:44
Speaker 1: might say yes, I've got an appointment, but working through
6:46
Speaker 1: do they genuinely need that appointment? I also had advice
6:49
Speaker 1: that they were handing out some bottles of water. We
6:51
Speaker 1: do say to people you do need to be patient,
6:54
Speaker 1: perhaps take some snacks, the book to read in the car,
6:57
Speaker 1: and those portaloos have been placed on site. They might
7:00
Speaker 1: be able to see them from where they're at and the.
7:01
Speaker 2: Queue have got another message from a listener here It
7:04
Speaker 2: says Katie, I picked my mate up from the airport
7:07
Speaker 2: last Friday. He came from the Mind. He got taken
7:10
Speaker 2: to Howard Springs on Saturday. He still doesn't have his
7:13
Speaker 2: results yet. I can't work because I'm an uber driver
7:16
Speaker 2: waiting for his results.
7:20
Speaker 1: So Katie, that would be a specific clinical question about
7:23
Speaker 1: an individual. Of course I wouldn't have that detail. And
7:26
Speaker 1: as I said, sometimes they test negative initially and then
7:30
Speaker 1: test positive, but the clinical evidence suggests to us that
7:33
Speaker 1: they weren't infectious when they're in the community. But unfortunately
7:37
Speaker 1: that person needs to speak to their friend. And as
7:43
Speaker 1: I said, if they haven't tested positive to date, that's
7:46
Speaker 1: a good sign. If they were to turn positive, the
7:48
Speaker 1: department would work through what potential contacts might be and
7:51
Speaker 1: whether that person that's texted you is in fact of contact.
7:55
Speaker 2: Is there a situation here though, where some of those
7:57
Speaker 2: workers from that mindset haven't got their results get so.
8:02
Speaker 1: Katie, they're being tested multiple times, so they'll be tested
8:05
Speaker 1: initially and then they'll have a second test, and there'll
8:07
Speaker 1: be multiple tests. So I can't speak to the specifics
8:11
Speaker 1: of that, but certainly there's a testing regime in place,
8:14
Speaker 1: and we do provide that information to those individuals as
8:18
Speaker 1: soon as they those results are known.
8:20
Speaker 2: Okay, Now the vaccination program, where are we act in
8:24
Speaker 2: terms of there's still being no bookings, When are we
8:27
Speaker 2: expecting more of those to open up?
8:30
Speaker 1: So, Katie, as I think we discussed yesterday, the days
8:32
Speaker 1: are certainly blurring for me this week, but we put
8:35
Speaker 1: online close to two thousand additional appointments on Tuesday afternoon.
8:39
Speaker 1: The departments looking through now to see if we can
8:41
Speaker 1: add additional appointments, looking at the supply and also the
8:44
Speaker 1: ability for us to deliver those appointments each week. So
8:49
Speaker 1: we just ask people to be patient as soon as
8:51
Speaker 1: they're available. They'll be placed online for people to make
8:54
Speaker 1: that booking. They can also access We've got pharmacies coming
8:58
Speaker 1: online and GPS coming online with vaccination, so there is
9:02
Speaker 1: more than just the anti government booking system. They can
9:05
Speaker 1: reach out to those two to see if there's any
9:07
Speaker 1: available appointment.
9:08
Speaker 2: Now we know that the Prime Minister yesterday said people
9:11
Speaker 2: under forty can get astroseneka, do you think that they should?
9:16
Speaker 1: So? Codie, what I would say to anyone that's listening
9:19
Speaker 1: to this that's under forty is have a conversation with
9:21
Speaker 1: your GP or your primary health care provider, your individual circumstances.
9:25
Speaker 1: They vary greatly, and I'm not a clinical expert. I'm
9:28
Speaker 1: not a clinician at all, and so it would be
9:30
Speaker 1: irresponsible of me to give that advice over the radio.
9:34
Speaker 1: But I do encourage people to discuss with their GP
9:37
Speaker 1: their health concerns at vaccination and specifically vaccination for COVID
9:42
Speaker 1: and what might be best for them.
9:44
Speaker 3: Minister, can I get an update?
9:45
Speaker 2: You and I spoke yesterday about the situation with the
9:48
Speaker 2: miners still on the Tatamie mind site.
9:51
Speaker 3: Can I get a bit of an update.
9:52
Speaker 2: Did health authorities get in contact yesterday or are they
9:56
Speaker 2: out there and what can you tell us?
9:59
Speaker 1: So the Minister for Mining spoke to the Tanama Mining Management. Again,
10:03
Speaker 1: the MIND certainly has faced some challenges in this situation,
10:07
Speaker 1: but we've been advised that the welfare of the mine
10:09
Speaker 1: has been there's been a number of steps taken to
10:11
Speaker 1: improve those conditions for them out there, and that NT
10:15
Speaker 1: Health is working within the welfare group, which is Territory
10:19
Speaker 1: Families and the Tanami gold Mine, the Newmounts officials to
10:24
Speaker 1: make sure it's as comfortable as possible for those individuals
10:26
Speaker 1: on the mine, and of course NT Health is managing
10:29
Speaker 1: the quarantine and infection control processes at the MIND, Katie.
10:32
Speaker 3: And have they now got adequate food Katie?
10:35
Speaker 1: My understanding is yes, that the welfare group's worked with
10:38
Speaker 1: Newmont so that staff can have not only making sure
10:41
Speaker 1: that they're getting access to proper food, but also that
10:44
Speaker 1: they're getting some opportunity to exercise daily and also do
10:47
Speaker 1: some laundry. That was one of the concerns that have
10:49
Speaker 1: been raised around access to clean clothes and things like that.
10:53
Speaker 2: Minister, when are we going to find out if indeed
10:58
Speaker 2: the lockdown is lifting tomorrow? Will it be you know,
11:02
Speaker 2: will we have a better idea today. I'm thinking more
11:05
Speaker 2: so in terms of a lot of our businesses who
11:07
Speaker 2: are either going to need to be prepared to stay
11:10
Speaker 2: locked down or need to be prepared to open and
11:13
Speaker 2: ensure that they've got the adequate resourcing etc.
11:17
Speaker 3: To be able to do so.
11:19
Speaker 1: Katie, we're very conscious of the needs of particular businesses, hospitality, retail,
11:24
Speaker 1: to ross this stuff. We're very conscious of that and
11:27
Speaker 1: we appreciate the community has gotten behind this lockdown. Everyone
11:30
Speaker 1: has done the right thing. We've literally seen one or
11:33
Speaker 1: two breaches where people have waitingly ignored the rules, and
11:36
Speaker 1: so we're really appreciative of the community. This is for everyone,
11:39
Speaker 1: this lockdown, but we're very conscious people need to have
11:42
Speaker 1: an understanding of what the plans are. Is this going
11:44
Speaker 1: to go on or can they start to make some
11:46
Speaker 1: plans for the weekend, and so the Chief Minister will
11:49
Speaker 1: speak to that later today.
11:50
Speaker 3: Okay, a few questions from listeners. Why are florists allowed
11:53
Speaker 3: to operate at the moment?
11:56
Speaker 1: So, Katie, the essential businesses are listed under the Choe direction.
12:01
Speaker 1: I know that there's been some questions around why certain
12:04
Speaker 1: businesses are allowed to operate and why they aren't. These
12:08
Speaker 1: are the directions by a health officials and so that
12:12
Speaker 1: is what they've directed can be opened during this period
12:16
Speaker 1: in terms of Flora specifically, I don't know the rationale
12:18
Speaker 1: behind that. I'm happy to speak to Midbye.
12:20
Speaker 2: Okay, I've got a question here. This one says Hi Katie. Well,
12:24
Speaker 2: this will be our third day for me and my
12:26
Speaker 2: two young sons to try and get tested after discovering
12:29
Speaker 2: we were at Bunning's at the right time now Tuesday,
12:33
Speaker 2: following on from the Chief Minister's evidence to advice, sorry
12:37
Speaker 2: to just drive in three hours, wait to just be
12:39
Speaker 2: told you need to book, and turned around Wednesday, booked
12:42
Speaker 2: an appointment at five twenty five pm and turned around
12:46
Speaker 2: again because they are at capacity. I explained our situation
12:49
Speaker 2: and was told they only really concerned about the buff
12:52
Speaker 2: club and the zumba class and someone would call us
12:55
Speaker 2: to rebook.
12:56
Speaker 3: But no one's called.
12:57
Speaker 2: Now all three of us starting to show sign of
13:00
Speaker 2: a cold and have been in line for about two hours.
13:03
Speaker 2: The government all year have been saying how great they
13:06
Speaker 2: are at handling this and they're ready. Sorry, but what
13:10
Speaker 2: a load of craps is that person?
13:13
Speaker 1: So, Katie, in terms of that to the individual it's
13:15
Speaker 1: from your comment there, it sounds like they're in the
13:17
Speaker 1: line at Marara presently, and I would urge them to
13:20
Speaker 1: stay in that line, and as I said, we're making
13:22
Speaker 1: sure that that line does flow through. I'm also happy
13:25
Speaker 1: to if you provide me with those details off there,
13:27
Speaker 1: to ask Health to contact them. It sounds like they
13:30
Speaker 1: genuinely are one of those contacts, and certainly you know,
13:33
Speaker 1: feel for them, especially with two young children, so happy
13:35
Speaker 1: to chase that down as well.
13:36
Speaker 2: All right, minister, we are due to catch up with
13:39
Speaker 2: a mum we've been contacted by who's out in well
13:43
Speaker 2: quarantine out at Howard Springs. She's not able to get
13:46
Speaker 2: a sterilizer out there while she's caring for a baby.
13:50
Speaker 2: Why are parents caught up in this not provided with
13:53
Speaker 2: those essentials if they are out there in quarantine.
13:57
Speaker 1: So, Katie, I am aware of this specific case and
14:02
Speaker 1: I have had some details provided to me around frustration
14:05
Speaker 1: with lack of baby amenity products, and as a mother myself,
14:09
Speaker 1: I find that unacceptable. I've spoken to the department and said,
14:12
Speaker 1: we really need to make sure that these people. This
14:15
Speaker 1: I understand is someone that's flown in from a hot
14:17
Speaker 1: spot location within Australia, so they might not have been
14:20
Speaker 1: aware of it as they were packing for the plane
14:23
Speaker 1: and then have been caught up in this situation. I've said,
14:25
Speaker 1: we need to be far more flexible and provide amenity
14:29
Speaker 1: to these individuals who no faults of their own, who
14:31
Speaker 1: are caught up at Howard Springs. So I've asked the
14:33
Speaker 1: Department that specific request, but more broadly, can we have
14:36
Speaker 1: some of these products that are needed, are essential to
14:39
Speaker 1: care for young children and babies or perhaps elderly residents,
14:44
Speaker 1: to make sure that we've got those on hand so
14:46
Speaker 1: we can respond far more quickly into the future. But
14:49
Speaker 1: I certainly apologize. I will listen to what is said
14:53
Speaker 1: if I can, otherwise I'll make sure I get a
14:55
Speaker 1: brief on that. But I certainly apologized from what has
14:58
Speaker 1: been explained to me, it's not acceptable.
15:00
Speaker 3: Minister.
15:00
Speaker 2: One last listener question, Katie, why did they not bring
15:03
Speaker 2: the miners into Howard Springs better facilities for them.
15:08
Speaker 1: So, Katie, the mine has a COVID management plan and
15:11
Speaker 1: that plan has been enacted. The plan is to bring
15:15
Speaker 1: the infectious people in, to provide them with the medical care,
15:19
Speaker 1: and to keep the mind site as an isolated facility
15:24
Speaker 1: and care for people until they test positive. So that's
15:27
Speaker 1: the plan that has been in place since the start
15:30
Speaker 1: of the pandemic. We have these plans for a number
15:32
Speaker 1: of these locations where people do live and work on
15:35
Speaker 1: site across the territory, and so those plans were followed.
15:39
Speaker 2: Minister, we are going to wrap it up just finally,
15:42
Speaker 2: we know it's Territory Day.
15:43
Speaker 3: Happy Territory Day to you. When are we expecting we're
15:46
Speaker 3: going to get to celebrate.
15:48
Speaker 1: Well, that's a question that my kids keep asking me.
15:51
Speaker 1: So yeah, as the Chief Minister said, incredibly disappointing, Happy
15:55
Speaker 1: Territory Day to all Territorians, reflecting on this day in
15:58
Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight where we were given selfment, we will
16:01
Speaker 1: have a day where we can all come together and celebrate,
16:03
Speaker 1: and hopefully that's sooner rather than later, once we sent
16:05
Speaker 1: through the pandemic situation that's facing us right now in
16:09
Speaker 1: the Territory.
16:09
Speaker 3: Health ministon Natasha Files.
16:11
Speaker 2: We will leave it there and probably be speaking to
16:14
Speaker 2: you again tomorrow. Let's hope that we get some good
16:16
Speaker 2: news a little bit later this morning.
16:18
Speaker 1: Thank you, Take care