'Dreadful harm': Health chief 'personally terrified' of second wave
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In anticipation of the Northern Territory moving ahead with its own coronavirus recovery plan, the territory’s Chief Health Officer has admitted he is “personally terrified” at the prospect of a second wave.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Northern Territory Chief Health Officer, Dr Hugh Heggie started off by thanking Territorians for being aware of adhering to physical distancing.
Dr Heggie added the measures such as physical distancing and good hygiene will help the territory move forward to a “new normal”, with restaurants, cafes and bars slated to reopen on Friday.
He then stressed he was terrified ahead of businesses returning to somewhat normal practices when restrictions are lifted.
“I’m terrified because if we do have an outbreak here we need to be prepared for it, we need to be monitoring - we will, we need you to cooperate and I don’t want to see the dreadful harm that has done elsewhere in the world,” Dr Heggie said.
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“The lives lost, the harm done, the new evidence that even sometimes a young person can have an abnormal immune response and irrespective of that, there’s no treatment.”
He encouraged Territorians to be safe.
Speaking before Dr Heggie was the Territory’s Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles, who said there are currently two active cases, with more than 5,500 people in the region being tested for the coronavirus.
Ms Fyles said it was because of the “hard work of Territorians” the territory is in an enviable position and have businesses reopen.
Northern Territory set to open bars and restaurants
The Northern Territory’s three-step plan started at the start of May, with some National Parks reopening.
Restaurants, cafes and bars are able to reopen on Friday, on the condition people purchase food.
Non-contact sports can also start, and indoor activities will be allowed for those of less than two hours, including beauty salons, gyms, libraries and places of religious worship.
Ms Fyles encouraged the community to remember the “key messages” of physical distancing, hygiene and staying at home if unwell and to contact a health care professional.
“We don’t want to risk the community’s health just because people are keen to get back out there,” she said.
Nearly 1000 businesses in the Northern Territory have “signed up to reopen”, the Minister for Health said.
“They are busy putting in measures to protect the community,” she said.
“They’re changing the way their business operates – people coming in and out of seperate doors, additional cleaning, spacing tables out.
“We thank those businesses, we know it’s a big step forward for them and we certainly will be supporting them.” '
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Dr Heggie stressed people need to be self-aware, still practising the 1.5 metre distance which will “mitigate the risk, not reduce it altogether, but mitigate it”.
The Chief Health Officer also suggested one person may have to go to the supermarket, opposed to the whole family and maintain hand hygiene.
The Northern Territory will move ahead with the final stage of its three-stage plan on June 5, which will remove the two-hour limit on indoor activities and allow for bars and clubs to reopen without serving food.
Entertainment venues and cinemas will also reopen and team sports such as football and netball will be allowed.
The internal border controls restricting access to areas that include indigenous communities will remain in place until June 18 and possibly longer.
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