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Speaker 1: Let's get straight into it, because the Health Minister, Natasha

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Speaker 1: Files joins us on the line right now.

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Speaker 2: Good morning to your minister.

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Speaker 3: Good morning, Katie. Good morning, isn't it.

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Speaker 2: So restrictions lifting at mid day today?

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Speaker 3: Filesy, Yes, Katie, I think Territorian's top enders will be

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Speaker 3: pleased to hear that both Darwin and Catherine the restrictions

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Speaker 3: will be lifted from mean today, And Katie is based

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Speaker 3: on the fact that we've had no further cases and

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Speaker 3: we have also had daily wastewater testing in Greater Darwin

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Speaker 3: and Catrine that has all been negative. So I'm sure

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Speaker 3: Territorians will be pleased that those remaining restrictions have been lifted.

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Speaker 3: But we do just need to remind people that we

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Speaker 3: are seeing the COVID nineteen pandemic spread on that eastern

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Speaker 3: seaboard and we should take steps to protect ourselves, whether

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Speaker 3: it's getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distances, or getting tested if

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Speaker 3: we're not feeling well.

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Speaker 1: Now we know that obviously this delta strain is pretty concerning.

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Speaker 1: It's something like you've just pointed out that is running

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Speaker 1: rife in other states. To call it just ringing and

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Speaker 1: ask do we know yet if that case that obviously

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Speaker 1: kicks things off here in the territory if it was

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Speaker 1: a false positive test or what was the situation with it.

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Speaker 3: Oh, the test involving the individual was a confirmed positive

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Speaker 3: test of the Delta strain of coronavirus. The outstanding information

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Speaker 3: is where he caught that virus from. But no, it

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Speaker 3: certainly was a very real threat to the Northern territory.

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Speaker 3: We had someone infectious in our community, both in Darwin

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Speaker 3: and Catherine, and so do.

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Speaker 2: We know is there still no idea where he caught

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Speaker 2: it from?

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Speaker 3: Okatie. I understand that he's still being worked through around

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Speaker 3: where he perhaps picked up the virus, and that's not unusual.

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Speaker 3: We're seeing, I guess, on that Eastern Seaboard multiple cases

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Speaker 3: where the source of infection is unknown concerning. But it

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Speaker 3: was certainly a confirmed case of COVID nineteen.

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Speaker 1: And so are those hot spots declarations obviously for the

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Speaker 1: Canberra and SID the airport's still in place at this.

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Speaker 3: Point, yes, Katie, So we've still got a hotspot declaration

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Speaker 3: for the whole of New South Wales, including Sydney and

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Speaker 3: Sydney Airport. For the Australian Capital Territory including the Canberra

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Speaker 3: Airport and for all of Victoria. So it is very

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Speaker 3: concerning those case numbers coming out of those states and

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Speaker 3: we will keep those measures in place to keep our

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Speaker 3: community faith.

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Speaker 1: Now we see restrictions lifting today, does that mean that

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Speaker 1: our gyms are able to get back to normal and

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Speaker 1: also our markets.

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Speaker 3: Yes, Katie, So those remaining restrictions, which was wearing a

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Speaker 3: mask if you couldn't physical distance the gyms, the dance

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Speaker 3: flaws are gathering being limited to ten people. Those restrictions

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Speaker 3: will now lift, but we do remind people, as I

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Speaker 3: just said, if you sick, get tested, stay away from

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Speaker 3: others and try and maintain that physical distance. But yes,

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Speaker 3: those remaining restrictions are listing as of midday today.

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Speaker 2: Now what about Catherine. What's happening for Catherine?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, no, you have a number of listeners in Catherine,

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Speaker 3: and we certainly haven't forgotten about them, and so they

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Speaker 3: obviously went into lockdown. The lockdown was held a day

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Speaker 3: longer because of the infectivity. The person was infectious on

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Speaker 3: that Sunday in Catherine. But they have too had negative

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Speaker 3: waste water testing results and so Catherine, those restrictions will

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Speaker 3: ease it a listing Catherine at midday today.

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Speaker 2: Oh good stuff.

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Speaker 1: But obviously we're still wanting people to check in with

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Speaker 1: their COVID checking app and and like you said earlier,

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Speaker 1: maintain that social distancing. So we still want to make

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Speaker 1: sure that we're doing those things because we know what's

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Speaker 1: going on in the other states.

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Speaker 3: Katie, that checking oup is one of the best tools

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Speaker 3: where we do have a case to us quickly getting

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Speaker 3: the information. So please check in when you're out and about.

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Speaker 3: We had a record day last week late last week

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Speaker 3: with over two hundred and sixty thousand check ins. We've

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Speaker 3: had over fourteen million check ins since the app was launched,

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Speaker 3: So just whip your phone out, check in as you

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Speaker 3: move about the community, and that really helps us quickly

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Speaker 3: get in touch with you if we do see any

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Speaker 3: potential cases in the territory.

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Speaker 1: Now another big step which is being taken today, and

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Speaker 1: this is something that you and I spoke about earlier

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Speaker 1: in the week and a lot of people were pretty

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Speaker 1: confused as to why they couldn't get their kids over

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Speaker 1: the age of twelve vaccinated here in Darwin.

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Speaker 2: But well that's all changing.

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Speaker 1: That vaccine rollout is now taking that step forward with

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Speaker 1: every territory and aged twelve and above now eligible to

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Speaker 1: book their appointment.

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Speaker 3: Correct, Katie, So, once again the Northern Territory is leading

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Speaker 3: the nation and this is based on the advice that

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Speaker 3: we have a particularly vulnerable population here in the territory.

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Speaker 3: We have a young population and so anyone aged over

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Speaker 3: twelve is now able to book for their COVID nineteen vaccine.

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Speaker 3: And importantly, Katie, from September, the vaccine will be provided

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Speaker 3: to students in our middle and senior schools. Of course,

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Speaker 3: parents will be informed we need consents, but we're trying

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Speaker 3: to make it as easy for territory families for their

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Speaker 3: kids to get vaccinated as possible.

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Speaker 1: So at this point in time, though any parent can

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Speaker 1: obviously book their kids in a clinic themselves or at

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Speaker 1: any of those you know gps themselves, but there will

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Speaker 1: be the school program.

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Speaker 3: Is that right, correct, Katie. So parents can choose to

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Speaker 3: go to a participating GP, they can go to one

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Speaker 3: of our vaccine hubs, or we will deliver the vaccine

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Speaker 3: through our schools. Our school based nurses are working with

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Speaker 3: Principles to have an individual plan for each school. You're

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Speaker 3: eleven and twelve students, Katie, will be prioritized to ensure

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Speaker 3: that there's no destruction to their studies and final exams.

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Speaker 3: So we've had over two hundred thousand doses of the

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Speaker 3: vaccine delivered in the territory. Sixty percent of territories have

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Speaker 3: had a first dose and this is an important step forward.

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Speaker 1: So I do.

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Speaker 3: Encourage parents to have a discussion with their teenagers about

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Speaker 3: the importance. Make sure that they're fully informed. But a

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Speaker 3: great opportunity to protect themselves and their loved one.

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Speaker 1: Now, a very quick question from one of our listeners.

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Speaker 1: We know you pressed for time this morning, but a

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Speaker 1: very quick question one here, Katie, can you please ask

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Speaker 1: the Health Minister if all the interstate people up here

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Speaker 1: on holidays are also getting the JAB and they included

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Speaker 1: now numbers.

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Speaker 3: So Katie, it is really important that people understand the

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Speaker 3: vaccines available for everybody. You don't have to hold a

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Speaker 3: Medicare card, you don't have to be an Australian citizen.

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Speaker 3: It's so important in terms of the figures. We've got

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Speaker 3: two hundred thousand doses have been a minister. If someone

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Speaker 3: is visiting from interstate and they're due for their dose,

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Speaker 3: we will provide that to them. We want everybody that's

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Speaker 3: in our community to vaccinated.

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Speaker 2: There is certainly a lot happening around the place.

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Speaker 1: Like I said, I know that you are very busy

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Speaker 1: this morning, so we appreciate your time, appreciate you coming

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Speaker 1: on the show and I think we've got you on

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Speaker 1: tomorrow as well.

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Speaker 3: For the week that was hopefully looking forward to.

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Speaker 2: It will be good stuff. Thank you. That is the

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Speaker 2: Minister for Health. They Natasha Files