The Northern Territory has recorded one new case of COVID-19 overnight.

Because of the circumstances of this case - we have had to make a difficult decision this morning to escalate our pandemic response.

From midday today, the Darwin, Palmerston, Darwin rural area, and Katherine - will enter a full lockdown for 72 hours. We are in lockdown until midday on Thursday.

I will now run through the details of this case, and explain why we need to lock down again.

The positive case is a man in his 30s who travelled to the Territory for legitimate work purposes on Thursday, the 12th of August.

As a recent international arrival, he had been in 14-day quarantine in Sydney, departing hotel quarantine on the 12th after returning a negative test on the 10th, prior to his exit.

On Thursday, he transited from Sydney to Darwin, via Canberra airport.

The ACT was a declared COVID-19 hotspot at the time, but as per our usual policy, airports are not considered part of the hot spot. We understand he wore a mask during his transit.

He landed in Darwin very late Thursday night - just before midnight - and travelled via taxi to the Hilton Hotel on Mitchell Street.

Later on Friday morning, he travelled back to the airport, in an Uber car, to collect a hire car.

The man visited various locations in the Darwin CBD over the next few days for limited periods of time. There are number of exposure sites because of this - I will run through them soon.

On Sunday morning, the man attended the Royal Darwin Hospital Pandemic Clinic for a COVID test.

This is a requirement we have for everyone who arrives in the Territory after exiting hotel quarantine - they are required to take a test on the third day.

Following his test, he drove his hire car to Katherine, where he was required for his work.

He arrived at his hotel in Knotts Crossing just after midday on Sunday. He then met a friend, and they travelled together to the Woolworths in Katherine.

Last night, we received his positive test result. He is in isolation in his hotel in Katherine, with the assistance of Health staff and Police. He is asymptomatic. He is being transferred to the Centre for National Resilience today.

This is what we know.

Like last time, we have made the decision to lockdown fast because of what we do not know.

We do not yet know the variant of this virus - we are assuming it is the Delta strain.

Critically, we do not know the source of his infection.

We do not know if he caught it in hotel quarantine, during his time at Canberra airport, or at any other time during his transit.

And while his contact in the community - both in Darwin and in Katherine - was limited, it was extensive enough to greatly concern us.

That includes two close contacts in Darwin - a taxi driver and an Uber driver - who have been working in the community.

There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others, there is a very real risk that those people have travelled elsewhere in the community, and there is a very real risk that this includes contact with our vulnerable populations.

OTHER NEWS:

When we don't know everything, we have to start by assuming the worst. We have to.

Remember why we do this. Remember why we go hard and fast.

It is to buy time. Until we know more. Until we can be sure this has not spread.

We need to stop everything in it tracks until we get on top of this.

The geographic boundaries for the Greater Darwin area are the same as last time - so it includes places like Wagait and Dundee.

For Katherine - it's the municipality of Katherine. That includes Tindal.

So, once again, this is what a lockdown means:

If you live in these areas, you must stay home. And you are only permitted to leave your home for the following five reasons.

1. Medical treatment, including COVID testing or vaccination;

2. For essential goods and services, like groceries and medicines;

3. For work that is considered essential and can't be done at home;

4. For one hour of exercise a day, with one other person or the people that you live with, and no further than five kilometres from your home; and finally

5. To provide care and support to a family member or person who cannot support themselves. This includes separated families - you can continue to share the care of your children. This exception also includes people who need to leave a location to protect their safety.

Those are the five reasons. They are the same reasons as last time. It worked, we are sticking with what worked.

We are making one change, as we keep learning about this virus and how it is spreading in other places.

In order to further limit movement -

For everything that isn't groceries, food or medicines, where possible, you will be required to use the 'click and collect' service to get your essential goods.

For example, Bunnings will not be open for the purpose entering the store and browsing.

If you need goods from Bunnings or from other essentials goods providers that aren't food, groceries and pharmacy outlets, you must order the goods online first. You are then permitted to visit the store and collect them.

This measure is being introduced to further limit all unnecessary movements and interaction.

I know that every time we tell people not to panic buy, some people ignore it.

I am hoping, now that we have been through this once before, those people know that panic buying is stupid. A waste of your time.

The 'click and collect' policy is the only change - everything else is the same.

That includes the wearing of masks.

For everyone in the lockdown areas, if you leave your place of residence for one of the five reasons, you must wear a mask.

That includes exercise. Don't tell me you need to do vigorous exercise without a mask. Take a break from the burpees and the sprints for a couple of days. Take a walk instead. Wear your mask.

We should all know how this works. And if there is deliberate non-compliance, if Nightcliff starts looking like Bondi - Police will come done hard on it.

Your ordinary place of residence is where you are now. If you own more than one house, your residence is the place you are now in. Don't go between houses.

Our last lockdown happened in the school holidays, this one is during term. For now, we are directing that schools shut, students stay home, and schools only stay open for the children of essential workers, with schools keeping on critical skeleton staff for this purpose only.

If the lockdown has to go for longer, we can make decisions then about how we keep our kids learning. But for now, it's three days off for our kids.

The most important thing in this early period is staying at home. That's what we need people to do.

And this includes child care - it stays open for the children of essential workers only.

To the teachers and child care workers who will need to keep working this week - your jobs means that our health workers can keep doing their job.

It means our police can keep doing their job.

It means our contact tracers can keep doing their job.

Your job is critical too - thank you for doing it.

This next bit is super important for parents.

The lockdown starts at noon, so parents who are non-essential workers can start collecting their kids now. But there will be some leeway, don't worry if you cannot get there straight away.

School buses will run as normal at 2.30 if you can't pick up your kids before then.

We have put in transitional arrangements in our legal directions - there is absolutely no penalty for you if you can't get your kids home before 2.30. Getting you home safe and your kids home safe is what is important.

The Education Minister has been briefed, her Department is working with schools right now.

The Parliamentary sitting scheduled for this week has been suspended - the Speaker and the Opposition Leader have been informed.

The Darwin Festival will be suspended. The event for our Olympians tomorrow is cancelled.

The pre-polling for the local council elections is also suspended for the next 72 hours - and this applies across the Territory.

We will be working with our Aboriginal support organisations to make sure we can safely isolate any people without a fixed or suitable address who need to get tested.

Another lockdown is obviously another blow to our businesses.

The $1000 Business Lockdown Payment will be brought back - the same conditions as last time - to provide a bit of relief for ongoing costs.

I know it's not heaps. We will keep working on how else to help, and we are talking to the Feds now as well, to see how we can work together to help you out further.

Obviously, the best thing we can do is to lockdown fast so it's as short as possible - and that's what we are doing.

There will be interdiction points established to control travel in and out of these two lockdown regions - the Territory Controller will talk about that.

Like last time, people who live immediately outside these areas will be able to travel into the lockdown areas for essential goods and services. This was well managed last time - again, the Territory Controller will run all of that.

Like last time, Territorians should not travel - including out of the Territory - unless it is for one of the five reasons.

And again, non-Territorians are permitted to leave the Territory.

We are standing up our lockdown hotline again. The number is 1800 193 111. Please be patient today as they help everyone who calls them. This is not the hotline for testing - I will get to that later. It's just if you have questions about the lockdown, especially for industry.

But remember - if in doubt, stay home. If it's not for one of the five, stay at home.

I want to talk now about exposure sites and testing.

Before I do that - for the people of Katherine - I know this is new and scary for your community. I am sorry you have been caught up in this.

But you know as well as I do why we have to do this. You know why acting fast is the best decision.

And I know that you will be brilliant over the next few days as we smash this thing.

I am now going to go through the exposure sites for Darwin and Katherine - it's really important that people listen carefully to these, because it includes important information about who needs to get tested and how.

Remember, like last time, the details of the exposure sites can change - and we will keep updating you through the day if we need to.

First, I will go through the close contact sites.

For people this applies to - please immediately isolate yourself and contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484.

We will directly arrange your COVID test with you. Do not take yourself to a testing facility. Just call us. And we will arrange it.

Once we have arranged your test, you will be required to undertake 14 days of quarantine - regardless of the test result.

There are five close-contact exposure sites - four in Darwin, one in Katherine.

On Friday evening, the 13th:

. The Darwin Mini Mart on Smith Street in the CBD - between 6.00pm and 6.15pm.

. Salvatores in the Darwin CBD - between 6.00pm and 6.15pm.

On Saturday the 14th:

. The Outback Steak and Curry Restaurant on Mitchell Street in the Darwin CBD - between 1.45pm and 3.00pm.

. And the Darwin Mini Mart again on Smith Street - between 2.40pm and 2.50pm.

Finally, on Sunday the 15th, yesterday:

. The Knotts Crossing Resort Reception, in Katherine - between 1.15pm and 2.00pm.

Those are the five close contact sites - and the specific times. Remember - if they apply to you, isolate now, call the hotline, we will help you arrange your test.

Now to the casual contact sites.

For these locations - if they apply to you: please immediately isolate, call the COVID hotline to book an appointment for a test, and stay isolated until you receive a negative test result.

There are four casual contact locations.

On Friday the 13th:

. The Avis car rental counter at Darwin airport - between 11.30am and 11.45am.

. The Smith Street Mall - we will advise the specific time later.

. And the Hilton Hotel on Mitchell Street - we will advise the specific areas in the hotel and the specific times later today.

Finally, on Sunday the 15th:

. The Woolworths in Katherine, between 12:30pm and 1:00pm.

There are also a number of low-risk locations that are not exposures sites.

The Darwin Airport last Thursday night, early Friday morning, around midnight, and the RDH testing clinic on Sunday morning.

We are reviewing all CCTV footage to ensure there was no high-risk contact.

But if you were there at those times - monitor your symptoms, and test and isolate if you develop symptoms.

For the flight that landed in Darwin late on Thursday night - QF1429 - we are contacting all of the passengers on that flight. They will all be contacted.

Finally - if these exposure sites and the specific times do not apply to you.

Please, please, please - do not go and get tested for no reason.

Last time in Darwin, sadly, there was just too many people getting tested because they were worried.

There are clinical reasons for getting a test.

Being a contact from an exposure site is a reason.

Being sick is a reason.

Being worried is not a reason to get a test.

If you line up for a test without actually needing one - it just takes us longer to do our job, which could make the lockdown longer.

Please don't do that. Staying home is the best thing you can do.

Like last time, I cannot rule out the lockdown being longer. I cannot rule out expanding the boundaries of the lockdown. If it needs to be longer, if it needs to be wider, it will be.

We have been here before. We smashed it out of the park before. I know we can do that again.

The faster we go into a lockdown, the faster we can get out of it. That's the strategy.

We are acting fast, we are going hard - that's the best chance we have of stopping this thing in its tracks, and then we can get back to business as usual.