Nine new COVID cases linked to the Tenant Creek cluster have been confirmed, including three children aged between five and ten years old.
123 people have contracted the virus in this latest outbreak, as Tennant Creek and the nearby community of Ali Curung remain in lockdown.
As more of the Barkly’s vulnerable population succumb to COVID, the only health services they have access to, community health clinics, are closing their doors for Christmas.
Some have already shut up shop.
The clinic closures have stunned the Anyinginyi Aboriginal Health Corporation in Tenant Creek.
CEO Tony Miles says it’s a national emergency, and has pleaded for immediate help.
“Move fast now and send in the help that’s needed now and don’t wait," he pleaded.
"We’ve waited too long as it is.”
The Northern Territory government has confirmed many clinics in the Barkly region will close, but is yet to provide a list of which ones, or when they will reopen.
The Barkly region has the lowest vaccination and testing rates in the Territory. Mr Miles said there’s little hope of those rates improving without the health facilities to do so.
"We’re working in Tennant Creek with the rapid response teams here to test and vaccinate the community as much as possible."
"There’s not enough people out there, the clinics are closed."
Northern Territory health minister Natasha Fyles has confirmed many clinics in the Barkly region will close but will not say which ones or when they will reopen.
“What happens over the Christmas festive holiday period is we make sure we visit those clinics a couple of times a week to make sure people get their medicine and are getting those services.”
The current lock down in Tennant Creek and Ali Curung is due to be lifted at 5PM tomorrow, but minister Fyles hasn’t ruled out extending the current lockdown in Tenant Creek and Ali Crurung if vaccination rates in communities don’t improve.
“In terms of COVID the (Health) Department has been doing work to make sure that with this unique situation we can still provide the vaccine and testing across the Northern Territory."
As health teams in Tennant Creek race to test and vaccinate amid heatwave conditions, the closure of remote clinics is placing an even greater strain on their already stretched services.
“We need the rapid response teams out on those communities…those are among the most lowest vaccinated areas in the Barkly and we also need support, welfare support and police support “
And there were further red flags for the Red Centre with three cases of the Omicron variant confirmed among a group of resort workers at Yulara near Uluru, with all three remaining in quarantine.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNicy5jb20uYXUvbml0di9hcnRpY2xlLzIwMjEvMTIvMjEvc2VuZC1oZWxwLW5vdy1udC1oZWFsdGgtY2xpbmljcy1zaHV0LWFtaWQtY292aWQtb3V0YnJlYWvSAQA?oc=5
2021-12-21 06:34:49Z
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