The first case sent Katherine into a 72-hour lockdown and Darwin into a lock-out from midnight in the first community-transmission case of COVID-19 in the Territory due to end 12:01am on Monday.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner at a briefing on Friday said that the Katherine cases and household contacts had been taken to the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

He said the RAAF Tindal contractor, aged in his mid 20s, had spent time on Friday and Saturday night in Darwin with a person who had arrived from Cairns. Both are in quarantine helping investigators track their movements and how they became infected.

OTHER COVID-19 STORIES

Katherine Woolworths and the Puma Service Station on the Stuart Highway at Katherine have joined the Katherine Club as exposure sites.

RAAF Tindal, which was named on Thursday night as a contact spot, has been removed after checks on the contractor's movements.

Mr Gunner said that 53 close contacts have been identified from the Katherine Club, which was an exposure site on Monday November 1 between 5pm and 6pm.

"Twenty six have been contacted and isolated with, so far, two negative results back," Mr Gunner said.

"Twenty-seven are still being contacted. As we review the CCTV footage we may have to reclassify some of these people as casual contacts for now, they are all close contacts."

He urged anybody who had been at the Katherine Club during that time to "identify yourself as a close contact and organize a test. You must stay isolated for 14 days regardless of your test result".

Visitors to the Katherine Woolies on Monday, November 1 between 6.30pm and 6.50pm and the Puma on Tuesday, November 2 between 6.17am and 6.25am must get tested and remain isolated until receiving a negative result.

Mr Gunner said that the initial positive case was a contractor that worked in a secure location away from the rest of the RAAF Tindal base.

"He has 20 colleagues that are casual contacts, and all are isolated and being tested," he said.

OTHER STORIES:

"There's one work colleague who was considered a close contact. He has already tested negative and is in isolation."

There are three household contacts in Humpty Doo - they are all being tested and will be isolating for 14 days.

Three other exposure sites were also added on Friday morning.

The Mantra Pandas Darwin, on Knuckley St, Darwin has been included after the first positive case stayed there on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, with details to come.

The "low-risk" Noonamah Roadhouse and "location of concern" Monsoons nightclub in Darwin were also added.

The Noonamah Roadhouse service-station was an exposure site on November 1 between 6.50am and 6.52am, with anybody at the business during that brief window asked to monitor symptoms and get tested and isolate if they get any symptoms.

Monsoons club in Darwin on Friday, October 29, was listed as a place of concern, with patrons asked to isolate, get tested and stay in isolation receiving a negative result.

Mr Gunner said "given the amount of people at Monsoons, and given his large exposure period, this may have been where he picked up the virus".

Waste water testing is being held for Katherine and Darwin today, with initial tests for Darwin coming back negative and Katherine tests results pending.

Long lines for COVID-19 testing were being experienced in Katherine, he said.

If you have been to a public exposure site or if you have symptoms, you need to get tested and follow the applicable public health advice.

The Katherine Drive-Through Testing Site will be open until 6:30pm today. Bookings are preferred with opening hours for the weekend being Saturday from 8:30am to 6:30am and Sunday from 8:30am to 6:30am. Book onnline at https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/stay-safe/symptoms-testing.

COVID-19 vaccination spots were still available in Katherine today after hundreds made bookings in the Top End and Big River areas in the two hours following the lockdown announcement.

"I want to thank the Territorians who have booked in their vaccination since last night," he said

"More than 500 people booked a vaccination appointment between 10.00pm and 11.00pm last night - incredible.

"We have seen terrific progress in Aboriginal Territorians getting jabbed - more than 1500 getting vaccinated in the last week.

Updates have been made to the Chief Health Officer (CHO) Directions so that vaccinated and unvaccinated essential workers can go to work in Katherine and Greater Darwin. Only vaccinated essential workers can leave the lockdown or lockout areas for work.

Territorians in the lockdown or lockout areas should not travel, including out of the NT, unless it is for one of the essential reasons. Non-Territorians are permitted to leave the NT.

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