Retail to shut as Darwin, Katherine enter lockdown

The Greater Darwin and Katherine regions of the Northern Territory are entering a snap three-day lockdown as of midday Monday after a positive case was detected.

The Australian Capital Territory and Victoria will also extend their lockdowns by a further two weeks, as cases continue to spread.

Supermarkets may remain open in the NT regions, but all other stores must close for the duration and can only utilise click-and-collect where safe, signaling more hurt for the business community amid trading restrictions in almost all states of the country.

The man had previously been in New South Wales, and had legitimately travelled to the Territory after completing his quarantine in NSW, according to NT News. While in NSW, the man had tested negative following his quarantine, according to The Guardian.

“There is a very real risk that this virus has been transmitted to others,” NT chief minister Michael Gunner said, signaling the potential for further cases over the  next few days.

“Like last time we’ve made the decision to lock down fast. We do not yet know the variant. When we don’t know everything we have to start by assuming the worst – it is to buy time until we know more.”

More to come.

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