Katherine went into a 72-hour lockdown from midnight after the first ever case of community transmission in the NT was recorded.
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Chief Minister Michael Gunner made the announcement at a late night press conference on Thursday night.
On Friday morning he reminded people in Katherine to take care and be proactive around testing.
"Many of you will be waking up this morning to significant news of a lockdown in Katherine," he posted on his Facebook feed.
"From midnight last night Katherine is locked down. This applies to all residents, fully vaccinated or unvaccinated."
He went on to rally the people of Katherine to stay the course during the lockdown.
"You've done this before. You smashed it. I know you will do it again," he said.
"If you are symptomatic, get tested and isolate. Please pay attention to the exposure sites list. Get tested if you need to.
"If you are not symptomatic. If you have not been at an exposure site do not get tested."
Mr Gunner said that Katherine currently had a COVID-19 vaccination record of 75 per cent first dose and 65 per cent second dose.
"That's not high enough to provide comfort or a lock out option," he said.
"Please, if you have not been vaccinated yet get your first jab. You are allowed to leave your house to be vaccinated."
At the late-night press conference the chief Minister said that an unvaccinated man in his 20s who works as a contractor at the RAAF Base Tindal near Katherine had returned a "strong positive" result on Thursday evening after developing symptoms on Tuesday.
He said this was the first case of community transmission in the NT as the positive case has not recently travelled outside the Territory.
"We don't know where, we don't know when, but this is community transmission," Mr Gunner said.
The Katherine LGA will go into a full lockdown until midnight Sunday as authorities are not aware of where the man contracted the virus and because the Katherine region has not reached 80 per cent vaccination.
COVID-19: READ MORE
The Tindal RAAF Base is now an exposure site as the man worked while infectious on both November 1 and 2.
The Katherine Club is also an exposure site, with anyone who was there between 5 and 6pm on November 1 required to isolate and get tested.
Checkpoints
The man also spent time in Darwin, with Darwin going into a 72-hour "lockout" from midnight meaning fully vaccinated people in greater Darwin will be able to move freely in the community while wearing a mask.
Unvaccinated people in Darwin will be forced into lockdown conditions.
Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Charles Pain urged people to come forward to get vaccinated, with vaccination being one of the reasons people are allowed to leave their house during lockdown.
"We do need our community to help with this. We do really need people to come forward and get tested...and get vaccinated.
"It's absolutely perplexing that people still think they should delay that decsion."
KEY KATHERINE LOCKDOWN FACTS
From 12.01am on Friday 5 November 2021, residents from the lockdown areas must stay at home for the 72 hour lockdown period and people are only permitted to leave home for the following five reasons:
1. Medical treatment, including getting a COVID test or getting vaccinated;
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 sharing the care of children.
For everyone in the lockdown area, masks must be worn if you leave your place of residence for one of these five reasons.
The Katherine lockdown applies to everyone in Katherine both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated essential workers are allowed to go to work in Katherine and Darwin.
Border check points will be established on the perimeter of the Katherine municipality, with travel into and out of the lockdown zone prohibited without a valid reason.
All businesses, retail outlets, hospitality venues, gyms, pools and community centres are closed. Cafes and restaurants are able to offer take-away and delivery services. Schools will be closed except for the children of essential workers. Childcare centres will open only for the children of essential workers
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