The Northern Territory has recorded 16 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including five linked to the current outbreak in the Tennant Creek community.
Four of the five related cases are in the Todd Quarantine Facility in Alice Springs, while the fifth case is in the Tennant Creek Hospital.
The cases take the total number of infections for the local outbreak to 151.
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Four of the new cases are interstate arrivals, including one who was in the community while infectious and attended a number of locations in Darwin, sparking a number of new exposure sites.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the case showed the importance of arrivals in the territory undertaking multiple COVID-19 tests after coming into the NT.
She said the traveller only tested positive to COVID-19 on day six of her stay in the territory, after having tested negative on day three.
Ms Fyles said authorities were treating all COVID-19 cases in interstate arrives as being the Omicron variant.
The other five new cases recorded today are close contacts of interstate arrivals and are all in isolation.
Across the territory, 20 people are in hospital with COVID-19.
Ms Fyles said most of those people were in hospital for observation and to manage their isolation.
Community transmission in Darwin
A Darwin restaurant has been listed as a COVID-19 exposure site after authorities determined a woman most likely caught the virus at the restaurant.
It is believed the woman in her 60s got the virus from a recent interstate traveller who was also at the Bamboo Lounge at Stuart Park on 21 December between 7:20pm and 9:20pm.
Anyone else who was there is required to self-isolate, call the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 490 484 and identify themselves as a close contact.
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTerritoryChief%2Fposts%2F458060469019462&show_text=true&width=500Meanwhile, authorities are encouraging anyone in the Nhulunbuy community — even those who feel well — to get tested for the virus after it was detected in the town's wastewater.
