Katherine's lockout has been extended for 24 hours as a three-year-old girl tests positive to COVID-19.
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NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles announced on Monday that the NT has recorded three new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours including a three-year-old girl from Katherine East.
Ms Fyles said the girl was taken to Katherine hospital for treatment on Sunday for treatment where she was given a PCR test which returned a positive result.
The case has not yet been linked to another case in the cluster, with authorities interviewing the girl's seven close contacts today. As a result, Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Charles Pain made the decision to extend Katherine's lockout for 24 hours.
"There may well be other cases now in Katherine, now that we understand that there is this one case, which we haven't yet been able to link to the existing cluster," Dr Pain said.
"There's some investigation to do hence the need to extend the [lockdown] on Katherine that's that's a difficult decision, of course, and we will reconsider that tomorrow in light of what we find.
"But again, the important thing is you need to be tested."
The lockout, which was set to end tomorrow, will now end at midday Wednesday.
Ms Fyles said the result could help explain consistent positive wastewater results in the Katherine East catchment, which was once again positive in the most recent test.
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Recent wastewater testing had also come back positive for the community of Lajamanu, in which a fully-vaccinated man tested positive last week.
"That result is consistent with the original amount that we identified that when he [the case] left, he may well have been associated with that positive so we're not so concerned about that, but it does so justify the further testing that we're doing in Lajamanu."
Binjari community, however, will now transition from a lockdown to a lockout after wastewater testing there came back negative.
Dr Pain said the NT was "indebted" to Binjari for the way residents behaved during the outbreak.
"They have been extraordinarily co-operative," he said.
"I've seen people being interviewed in that community and what they said - we're grateful to them. I know they're grateful to our staff as well. It's been an extraordinary relationship."
Ms Fyles said the Katherine man who was transferred to the ICU on Saturday with COVID-19 complications is in a stable condition.
"He's in ICU requiring high flow oxygen. He's doing well. He's in a stable condition. The individual, he has underlying health issues," she said.
"He has received two doses of the vaccine but the timing meant that he may not have reached his full immunity protection when he was exposed to the virus."
Ms Fyles also welcomed the news that Territorians aged 5-11 will soon be able to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
"We saw the news from the Commonwealth government over the weekend around five to 11 year old so health. Were preparing for this announcement. They'll work with the federal authorities around that advice."
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