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The Northern Territory's Borders Will Be Closed For At Least 18 Months

The Northern Territory's Borders Will Be Closed For At Least 18 Months

You can forget about that weekend away to Kakadu or Uluru.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The Northern Territory's borders will remain closed for at least the next 18 months.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner revealed they want to ensure all residents are safe from people who might be harbouring the coronavirus.

At the moment, people from hotspot areas like Victoria and Sydney have to go into two week quarantine at their own expense in order to enter the territory.

Health authorities reckon that measure won't be lifted for at least the next year and a half. So you can forget about that trip to Kakadu or Uluru for the time being, unless of course you don't mind spending two weeks in mandatory quarantine.

PA

Michael Gunner told ABC24: "We have got an indefinite ban on Victoria, and Sydney keeps bubbling away to a point to I can't give you a date where that would ever lift. My advice to every Territorian, if you can, stay here in the Territory. You're safe here, don't go.

"If you can, cancel your Christmas holiday plans, stay here in the Northern Territory."

While it might seem like an extreme position to take, Mr Gunner reckons it the best approach to ensuring people don't get sick.

He added: "Territorians first. This is what I think I need to do to make sure some of the most vulnerable people in the world stay safe. I'm not taking risks here. Your life comes first. This is the Territory-first test. If you're as safe as us, you're welcome in.

"If you're not, sorry, we're closed to you."

It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated borders are unlikely to go back to pre-pandemic levels before Christmas.

During a press conference yesterday, Australia's leader said: "I think it's unlikely that we are able to move back to a restriction-free society.

"I doubt that is going to happen. I doubt the medical position will enable that. And so you've just got to follow the medical evidence on all of these, whether it's borders or whether it's the restrictions on trade or of local businesses or whatever it happens to be," he said.

"It's important that we just, you know, look and test, interrogate the medical evidence and make decisions based on that and nothing else and be transparent about it."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Australia