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Speaker 1: Now, as I mentioned just a short time ago in

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Speaker 1: some interesting news, Australia has scrapped its COVID testing requirements

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Speaker 1: for travelers entering or leaving the country, more than two

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Speaker 1: years after the pandemic began. This change comes as restrictions

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Speaker 1: continue to ease despite still a high volume of cases

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Speaker 1: being recorded each and every day. So what do these

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Speaker 1: changes mean for the Northern Territory. Well, joining me on

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Speaker 1: the line is the Health Minister and also the Minister

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Speaker 1: for Tourism, Natasha Files. Good morning to your minister.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Good morning with Smith Minister.

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Speaker 1: These changes obviously announced nationally on the weekend. Are we

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Speaker 1: going to be doing the same here in the Northern Territory?

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Speaker 1: Will travelers no longer need to will to show that

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Speaker 1: they've had a negative test before entering the territory?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, So this is international travel. So we've seen

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Speaker 2: the domestic travel restrictions change some time ago. But the

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Speaker 2: federal government who were responsible and have announced over the

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Speaker 2: weekend that travelers entering or leaving Australia no longer require

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Speaker 2: negative departure tests. And additionally, Katie, cruise desfols can enter

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Speaker 2: Australia and these are some of the complexities for your

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Speaker 2: listeners where state and territory intertwined with schedule. It is

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Speaker 2: important though that people do check with their carriers, so

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Speaker 2: the airline they may be traveling with, or the country

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Speaker 2: that they're heading to. I know that Singapore, for example,

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Speaker 2: requires a test, and so it's important to before you

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Speaker 2: do any trouble to check what's relevant to you. It

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Speaker 2: is a.

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Speaker 1: Massive change, I mean, how are you feeling about this change?

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Speaker 1: As the Minister for Health.

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Speaker 2: So Katie, all travelers are required to have two doses

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Speaker 2: of an approved facting, and this is highlighting I guess

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Speaker 2: that the circumstance in Australia is and the territory is

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Speaker 2: similar around the world. There is a presence of COVID

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Speaker 2: and we're managing that. But if there was to be

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Speaker 2: any further changes, for example the new variant or you know,

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Speaker 2: changes within that, you could see changes to this. But

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Speaker 2: it's a welcome step in transitioning from that pandemic to

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Speaker 2: an endemic and more normal travel.

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Speaker 1: So essentially what it means is obviously travelers to Australia

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Speaker 1: are no longer going to be required to undertake a

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Speaker 1: COVID nineteen pre departure test before boarding that flight, and

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Speaker 1: that's the inbound and outbound.

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Speaker 2: Correct Katie, that they have to have had two doses

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Speaker 2: of an approved vaccine. And as I highlighted it, maybe

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Speaker 2: that their airline has additional requirements or the country that

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Speaker 2: they're traveling to could have additional requirements. So I know

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Speaker 2: that many Territorians are keen to travel into Southeast Asia

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Speaker 2: and they still need to get a test for some

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Speaker 2: countries there, and that is provided. There's a number of

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Speaker 2: private providers in the top end that can provide that.

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Speaker 2: So really encourage as people start to travel to see

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Speaker 2: family and friends that they do check the criteria for

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Speaker 2: both their flight and also the country of destination.

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Speaker 1: As the Health Minister, though, are you concerned that we're

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Speaker 1: going to have people entering the Northern Territory COVID positive

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Speaker 1: or do you feel as though we've reached the point

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Speaker 1: where realistically we've got to learn to live with it.

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Speaker 2: So, Katie, unvaccinated travelers do require so you need to

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Speaker 2: be vaccinated to come into Australia, and unvaccinated Australians are

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Speaker 2: still required to quarantine for seven days because they're more

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Speaker 2: at risk of carrying COVID and spreading that. So there

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Speaker 2: is some precautions, but this is stepping forward. You know,

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Speaker 2: it's been a long two years for many people. We

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Speaker 2: don't have to talk about the significant impacts it's had,

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Speaker 2: so this is stepping forward into that new normal.

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Speaker 1: I mean many people listening though, are going to be

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Speaker 1: thinking to themselves, why can anyone travel here without having

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Speaker 1: to prove that their COVID negative? But the vaccine mandate

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Speaker 1: is still in place, so these are different things.

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Speaker 2: Someone to come into Australia to not quarantine has to

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Speaker 2: have had two doses of the vaccine. And we also

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Speaker 2: you know, people if they have any symptoms of illness,

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Speaker 2: and that's a message whether you're a territory and whether

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Speaker 2: you're in Australia or whether you're internationally. We really need people,

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Speaker 2: if they've got any symptoms to isolate and get that

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Speaker 2: test so that we can manage the virus.

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Speaker 1: All right, so we know that the mandate to be boosted.

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Speaker 1: It obviously kicks in on Friday. How are we going

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Speaker 1: with those vaccination rates for boosters?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, we do need to see more people getting

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Speaker 2: our booster dose of the vaccine. It's particularly important with omicron.

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Speaker 2: It gives you a significantly greater protection. You've got a

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Speaker 2: higher risk of going into hospital having severe COVID. In

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Speaker 2: terms of the rates for our population sixteen years and above,

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Speaker 2: we've had sixty four percent of Territorians have had a

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Speaker 2: booster dose. That's a dose. So we do encourage people.

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Speaker 2: You can access the vaccine around the territory and it's

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Speaker 2: really important, particularly with omicron.

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Speaker 1: How is it going to be policed on Fridays? Obviously

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Speaker 1: with the mandate kicking in on Friday to have your booster,

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Speaker 1: how's it going to be police this time round?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So the Chow direction is similar to previous directions.

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Speaker 2: And if in the course of your work you come

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Speaker 2: into contact with vulnerable people, your workplace poses a high

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Speaker 2: risk of infection, or your work is necessary for operation

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Speaker 2: and maintenance of essential infrastructure logistics, and so people have

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Speaker 2: to have that responsibility. Employers have been asking for it

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Speaker 2: and it needs to be provided and under the Chow direction,

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Speaker 2: it has to be cited come Friday once that direction

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Speaker 2: is law.

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Speaker 1: And how are the rates looking within the public service, Katie, I.

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Speaker 2: Haven't got those figures, but we'll make sure that we

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Speaker 2: get you something. During the week. I know that listeners

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Speaker 2: are always interested in the general public service, but we've

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Speaker 2: seen very high rates of compliance across the board with

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Speaker 2: the first two doses and we don't expect, you know,

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Speaker 2: anything significantly different with this third booster dose.

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Speaker 1: So essentially it does come down to with the third

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Speaker 1: booster dose, it is going to come down to employers,

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Speaker 1: so our bosses checking that we are triple vaxed.

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Speaker 2: So it's the same as previously, and it's it's the

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Speaker 2: same as other OHNs and qualifications. You know, you say

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Speaker 2: that you've got it, employers, you know, can ask to

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Speaker 2: see it. Equally, if an official attend for police or

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Speaker 2: environmental health attend the workplace, you can be asked to

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Speaker 2: present it and a failure to do so may result

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Speaker 2: in it in a fine. And obviously we've had an

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Speaker 2: educative approach around this, Katie, but so we.

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Speaker 1: May have a situation where we've got police going around

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Speaker 1: and checking whether people have been triple vexed or not

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Speaker 1: in those workplaces if someone dbs them me.

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Speaker 2: So we're taking that educative approach, but we have had

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Speaker 2: people who have been blatant in the past, and yes,

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Speaker 2: police and authorities will follow up if we do believe

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Speaker 2: that people are not abiding by the show direction?

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Speaker 1: Do you have concerns that we're going to lose more workers,

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Speaker 1: especially in some of those essential jobs as a result

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Speaker 1: of the booster mandate cany We've.

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Speaker 2: Seen territories all the way through listen to the health advice,

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Speaker 2: and I'm not expecting that we'll see people, you know,

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Speaker 2: not follow this. They know how important it is to

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Speaker 2: getting the territory open for travel so that we can

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Speaker 2: get on with life as normal.

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Speaker 1: Why is the health advice so in some states different

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Speaker 1: to what it is in others because so in other

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Speaker 1: states you don't actually have to have the triple dose

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Speaker 1: of the vaccine to be able to work.

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Speaker 2: This is something that we've seen throughout the pandemic and

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Speaker 2: through the national cabinet process. We've tried to be you know,

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Speaker 2: in unison with the other jurisdiction, but we have to act,

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Speaker 2: and particularly with our vulnerable population here in the territory.

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Speaker 2: The show makes decisions based on territory circumstances, and that's

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Speaker 2: why you might see variation.

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Speaker 3: All right.

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Speaker 1: So essentially, though I guess it does sound as it's

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Speaker 1: still different, you know, in other states, because I know

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Speaker 1: there'll be people listening this morning thinking to themselves, well,

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Speaker 1: you know why if I'm in a teaching role inter state,

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Speaker 1: have I only got to be vaccinated twice, but here

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Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory I've got to be vaccinated three times.

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Speaker 2: It's really important, particularly for a teacher of someone that

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Speaker 2: comes into contact with young people that might not be

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Speaker 2: able to be vaccinated, that you have that dose to

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Speaker 2: protect you and them. So we've seen across the board,

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Speaker 2: you know, very good compliant people have just rolled up

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Speaker 2: their sleeves to be vaccinated and we're not expecting anything

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Speaker 2: different with this on Friday, with the third roos To

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Speaker 2: dose being required.

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Speaker 1: Now onto one of the other issues that we've spoken

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Speaker 1: about extensively, elective surgeries. Are we now back on track

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Speaker 1: with those surgeries underway or are they still stalled at

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Speaker 1: this point?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Katy, I know that your listeners, you know, particularly

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Speaker 2: that may be waiting a surgery and always remind them

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Speaker 2: that if their conditions changed or deteriorated, to go back

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Speaker 2: to their GP or if it's an emergency attended. Most

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Speaker 2: Category two and three elected surgeries have gone ahead in

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Speaker 2: recent weeks at Roorzalen and Palmerston Hospital and so we

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Speaker 2: did see that way back in March twenty twenty that

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Speaker 2: pause to elected surgeries because we're expecting COVID to come

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Speaker 2: through in a wave. It's been a bumpy ride and

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Speaker 2: not what we expected. Over the recent weeks there would

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Speaker 2: have been impact. We have seen those hospital numbers creep up, Katie,

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Speaker 2: but they haven't gone anywhere near as high as what

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Speaker 2: we saw with the first wave of COVID here in

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Speaker 2: the territory, or that January wave where we saw significant

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Speaker 2: numbers that our hospitals have been in credit busy. I

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Speaker 2: was up on at rold Darwen on Good Friday and

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Speaker 2: our staff have been working tirelessly. But elective surgery has

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Speaker 2: been going.

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Speaker 1: Ahead in recent week and so is there any need

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Speaker 1: at this point in time for there to be additional

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Speaker 1: resourcing placed in that area to boost the capacity as

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Speaker 1: we've seen in other states. I know that Victoria made

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Speaker 1: a big announcement not too far back that they were

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Speaker 1: going to boost that resourcing so that they could get

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Speaker 1: as many of those elective surgeries done as possible.

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Speaker 2: Yes, So NT Health is continuing with the leadership at

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Speaker 2: our hospitals to develop plans to further increase those volumes,

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Speaker 2: noting that we have you know, throughout the pandemic and

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Speaker 2: the pauses we've had, people have had their surgeries impacted.

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Speaker 2: So we're certainly working on those plans to ensure that

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Speaker 2: people get access to the services they need.

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Speaker 1: Do we have any idea how many people are on

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Speaker 1: our elective surgery weight list at the moment.

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Speaker 2: Katie, there's around three nine hundred people on the elective

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Speaker 2: surgery weightlift presently. Understand that figure is a week or

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Speaker 2: so old, but that's the latest figure that's.

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Speaker 1: Been to me. And how long are they waiting for

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Speaker 1: their surgery or average.

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Speaker 2: Katie, That's something that it was important for me to

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Speaker 2: say to your listeners if they are listening into this

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Speaker 2: and believe that they've got an element that's deteriorated. So

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Speaker 2: people get categorized one, two or three, and there's specific

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Speaker 2: time periods in which they should ideally receive their surgery.

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Speaker 2: Now that people can change, their condition can deteriorate or

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Speaker 2: they can improve, and so it is fluid, and so

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Speaker 2: then the people waiting on categorized then expect their surgery

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Speaker 2: within that timeframe.

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Speaker 1: And so with those three nine hundred territorians that are

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Speaker 1: on the wait list they do now or they have

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Speaker 1: now sort of been given an idea of when they're

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Speaker 1: going to be able to have their surgery, or those

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Speaker 1: surgeries are certainly back underway.

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Speaker 2: Probably the second point, Katie. The surgeries are back on

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Speaker 2: the way, and we certainly are working to make sure

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Speaker 2: people access that surgery within the appropriate timeframe. But if

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Speaker 2: their condition has changed or they believe, you know, there's

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Speaker 2: circumstances that have change, if they should contact their GP

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Speaker 2: in the first instance, or their contact if they've got

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Speaker 2: that without patients at the hospital now.

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Speaker 1: One of the other things that you and I have discussed,

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Speaker 1: and we certainly had a pretty extensive discussion about last

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Speaker 1: Tuesday on the show is some of the alcohol issues

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Speaker 1: that we are seeing around the Northern Territory at the moment.

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Speaker 1: Since we last spoke. We know the Northern Territory Police

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Speaker 1: announced that they were going to have those patrols of

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Speaker 1: the city and also perhap re getting back underway. So

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Speaker 1: essentially those city patrols are now back underway. They began

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Speaker 1: again on Thursday, as I understand it, Have you had

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Speaker 1: much more of a look in this space since the

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Speaker 1: last time we spoke.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Okatie, So those patrols and the resourcing matters are

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Speaker 2: very operational from police. But my understanding is that resources

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Speaker 2: that have previously been focused on COVID as those restrictions

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Speaker 2: have these have now been able to resume and be

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Speaker 2: reallocated to normal duties. And so there was a change

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Speaker 2: last week understand on Thursday where you're starting to see

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Speaker 2: those patrols. So we're certainly very conscious of what's happening

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Speaker 2: in our communities the moment and working with the police

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Speaker 2: so that we can make sure that every incident of

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Speaker 2: any social behavioral crime is dealt within the appropriate manner.

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Speaker 1: I know that you know that. Obviously we've got the

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Speaker 1: floor price. We've also got the BDR convat scarlets. The

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Speaker 1: Lord Mayor of Darwin was on the show last Wednesday

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Speaker 1: and had this idea when it comes to bottle of restrictions,

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Speaker 1: take a listen.

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Speaker 4: We have to address the issue of secretary supply and

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Speaker 4: let's have a look seriously about the sale of alcohol.

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Speaker 4: Do we have to have take away alcohol salt ten

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Speaker 4: o'clock in the morning, Why can we actually bring it back,

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Speaker 4: Let's save lunch time, give another two hours break to

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Speaker 4: our people or.

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Speaker 1: So you reckon, we need to change the hours.

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Speaker 3: When I step in nineteen ninety three you couldn't buy

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Speaker 3: alcohol before twelve o'clock and the take a willause are

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Speaker 3: closed eight o'clock at night. It was later we start

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Speaker 3: creeping and when ten pm closing time and then ten

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Speaker 3: am opening time?

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Speaker 1: So what I was, do you reckon it should be

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Speaker 1: allowed to.

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Speaker 3: Be so ten pm let's be quite visuable.

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Speaker 1: So Minister, that was the Lord Mayor convat Scarlets on

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Speaker 1: the show last week saying that he thinks that we

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Speaker 1: need to restrict the sale of alcohol from ten am

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Speaker 1: and sorry from twelve noon until ten pm. Is this

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Speaker 1: something that the government's looking at?

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Speaker 2: I did hear your interview with the Mayor, and obviously

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Speaker 2: City Council do have an important role to play in

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Speaker 2: this space. Their ranges can in fact help the community.

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Speaker 2: But in terms of we see restrictions already around the

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Speaker 2: times that alcohol shops can trade. We of course, you know,

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Speaker 2: are always open to new ideas, but it's not something

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Speaker 2: that we're actively considering. We're very much focused around that

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Speaker 2: secondary supply and the antisocial behavior issues that we're seeing

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Speaker 2: across our community presently, and police have focused.

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Speaker 1: Their resources on this, so not considering restricting those hours

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Speaker 1: any further than they are at the moment. No, Katie,

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Speaker 1: Now you said then that rangers can help in the community.

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Speaker 1: Do you feel as though they could be doing more

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Speaker 1: at the moment?

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Speaker 2: Can you think that it's making sure that all of

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Speaker 2: our levels of government. So we have community council sorry ranges,

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Speaker 2: we have obviously NTG resources and our non government organization

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Speaker 2: resources making sure that they're working together and that they've

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Speaker 2: got the appropriate powers to do their job and that

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Speaker 2: they understand those powers and they've got the resources. So

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Speaker 2: that's what I'm focused on presently as Minister for our

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Speaker 2: cohol policy.

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Speaker 1: All right, but at this point in time, you don't

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Speaker 1: you're not sort of saying that the council could be

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Speaker 1: doing more in this space in terms of those ranges

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Speaker 1: going out there and you know, making sure that you

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Speaker 1: know that people are doing the right thing or keeping

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Speaker 1: a further eye on things.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, the council ranges have a role to play in

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Speaker 2: this and they do have powers, but it's making sure

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Speaker 2: that everyone understands the powers that they have, that they're

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Speaker 2: utilizing them, and that they have got the appropriate resources

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Speaker 2: to do so well.

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Speaker 1: Health Minister Natasha Files also Minister for Tourism, We better

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Speaker 1: leave it there. Thank you very much for your time

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Speaker 1: this morning.