NT hits milestone with zero active cases of COVID-19

The Northern Territory has today announced there are zero active cases of COVID-19 within its jurisdiction.

While this is certainly a milestone for Territorians to celebrate, Health Minister Natasha Fyles has stressed complacency is not an option.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Fyles said it had been six and a half weeks since the Territory's last diagnosed case of COVID-19.

"We are a safe bubble and we need to keep it that way," says Fyles.

"We have a very vulnerable community, a very vulnerable population particularly with our Aboriginal Territorians and so I urge all Territorians to not become complacent off the back of this."

Fyles' update comes just under two weeks before the NT plans on easing intra-territory travel, which will allow residents to move around the Territory.

Despite pressure from other state governments Fyles says that travel into the NT from other Australian states is not something on the table just yet.

"We must remain vigilant," says Fyles.

"During that time, we know that coronavirus spreads so quickly and because symptoms are so mild people don't realise that they have coronavirus and they could be spreading it in our community.

"As time goes on we will see those measures around interstate travel and international travel ease, but it will be based on clinical advice around this virus."

The news comes as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally have surpassed 5 million. 

In Australia there are 7,081 total confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including six new cases confirmed today.

A total of 6,473 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Australia, and there are 504 total active cases.

Photo via jeremydxg on Flickr.

Updated at 10:04am AEST on 21 May 2020.