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Speaker 1: But as you heard yesterday, we know the government issued

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Speaker 1: that statement saying that the Northern Territory is on track

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Speaker 1: to achieve what they say is another nation first milestone,

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Speaker 1: with fifty percent of Territorians set to be fully vaccinated

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Speaker 1: this week. So almost two hundred and twenty thousand doses

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Speaker 1: have now been administered in the Northern Territory, with sixty

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Speaker 1: seven percent of Territorians who've received their first dose and

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Speaker 1: forty eight percent of Territorians now fully vaccinated. But the

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Speaker 1: concern that most people have at this point is the

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Speaker 1: role out in remote parts of the Northern Territory falling behind,

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Speaker 1: especially as we talk about the inability to open up

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Speaker 1: until the vaccination rates are at eighty percent across the board.

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Speaker 1: The Health Minister, Natasha Files joins us on the line

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Speaker 1: right now.

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Speaker 2: Good morning to your minister.

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Speaker 3: Good morning Katie.

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Speaker 1: Now, Minister, we spoke fairly extensively about this last week,

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Speaker 1: but these numbers are proving to be a real sticking point.

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Speaker 1: What is the vaccination rate in remote areas right now?

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Speaker 3: So, Katy, I think it's really important for all territories

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Speaker 3: to understand that we are having success with our vaccination

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Speaker 3: program in both urban and remote areas, and that's because

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Speaker 3: territorians are making appointments and turning up and our hard

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Speaker 3: working health teams right across the territory are providing those vaccinations.

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Speaker 3: So the numbers are increasing, and they have increased over

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Speaker 3: the last fortnight and they will increase through the next

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Speaker 3: month when we've seen that increase in vaccine supply coming

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Speaker 3: into the territory.

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Speaker 2: So what are they in remote communities at the moment.

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Speaker 3: Yes, I was just about to get to that exact figure, Katie.

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Speaker 3: We believe that we will get to sixty percent of

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Speaker 3: territories fully vaccinated this week. And in terms of our

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Speaker 3: remote figures by region, we've got over sixty percent in

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Speaker 3: the Darwin region have received a dose and the numbers

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Speaker 3: are around sixty percent in Central the Barkley has come

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Speaker 3: up significantly, but we still have some hesitancy in East Diamond,

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Speaker 3: Big Rivers. But Katie, I was out in Norman Boy

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Speaker 3: yesterday and our vaccination team have been out there delivering vaccinations.

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Speaker 3: So as me watched the local Aboriginal Medical organization, I

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Speaker 3: do believe the tide is turning on this.

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Speaker 1: So do you are you saying that our vaccination rates

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Speaker 1: in remote communities at the moment are up at sixty

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Speaker 1: seven percent, right at sixty percent, so in some of the.

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Speaker 3: Regions, Yes, across the territory, it's fifty four percent of

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Speaker 3: territories in remote areas have had one dose and thirty

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Speaker 3: four percent are fully vaccinated.

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Speaker 1: So thirty four percent is the actual number for our

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Speaker 1: remote communities for the full full vaccination.

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Speaker 3: Yes, Kady and in some areas up to sixty percent

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Speaker 3: have had that first dose and up over forty percent

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Speaker 3: in Dawin and Central have had that second dose.

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Speaker 2: Okay, so thirty four percent.

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Speaker 1: There are still some locations though, which are incredibly low.

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Speaker 1: I know that there has been debate over recent days

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Speaker 1: about whether the government should be more transparent about those numbers.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't sound as though that's going to happen, though.

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Speaker 1: It does sound as though we are going to continue

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Speaker 1: to sort of be drip fed the numbers that the

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Speaker 1: government feels are appropriate to release.

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Speaker 3: To Katie, it's not a situation of feeding what we

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Speaker 3: believe is palatable to the community. There is privacy and

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Speaker 3: our vaccine lead. Yesterday, the Benie Hotel was talking about

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Speaker 3: this with the media. Some of those communities are so small.

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Speaker 3: If we want to put that data into the public domain.

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Speaker 3: It could potentially identify people, and so we are trying

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Speaker 3: to find that balance between respecting people's privacy and putting

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Speaker 3: out the information for the community. But territory should be

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Speaker 3: assured that we are working extremely hard. Territory is are

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Speaker 3: working hard on getting that vaccine, and we are seeing

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Speaker 3: those numbers lift, But we're not saying it's not going

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Speaker 3: to be a challenge in some communities, whether they are

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Speaker 3: sections of the urban community or in remote areas.

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Speaker 1: Can you see though, how people listening this morning might

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Speaker 1: be thinking to themselves, well, it is a bit cute,

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Speaker 1: you know, even given the fact that when I just

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Speaker 1: asked you before about those remote numbers, it took quite

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Speaker 1: some time to actually get that thirty four percent figure.

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Speaker 3: Of the KATY. I've got a range of figures the

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Speaker 3: regional breakdowns in first and second OZ, and that was

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Speaker 3: the information that I was just providing to you.

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Speaker 1: Do you reckon there needs to be a bit more

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Speaker 1: transparency around the numbers, Like I take on board what

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Speaker 1: you're saying that in some of those communities they are

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Speaker 1: quite small. But does there need to be more transparency

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Speaker 1: and are you providing those numbers to well to Aboriginal

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Speaker 1: health groups so that they can actually assist in ensuring

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Speaker 1: that those rates do step up.

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Speaker 3: We're working very closely with the Aboriginal medical organizations, Katie.

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Speaker 3: They are a key partner in this. We are working

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Speaker 3: with them to actually deliver the vaccine, or in some

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Speaker 3: situations they provide the vaccine, they may engage an NGNGO

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Speaker 3: such as the World Flying Doctors or it is NTY

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Speaker 3: health teams that go in and provide that vaccination. So

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Speaker 3: we're working closely with them. We're also listening to them

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Speaker 3: around the pockets of hesitancy that we do have. And

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Speaker 3: I do believe Katie that tragically what's happened in western

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Speaker 3: New South Wales and the Aboriginal community there. What I'm

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Speaker 3: hearing directly from indigenous territories is they really that this

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Speaker 3: virus is a threat to them and they are getting vaccinated.

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Speaker 3: And so we're working around those all important communications as well.

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Speaker 1: What is going to be the plan if we get

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Speaker 1: to later in this year and let's say that greater

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Speaker 1: DARWINSID eighty percent double vaxed, but some remote communities aren't.

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Speaker 2: What's going to be the plan?

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Speaker 3: So, Katie, even with vaccinations, there'll be some public health

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Speaker 3: measures involved in such as checking in maybe perhaps mask wearing.

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Speaker 3: But if we do have some parts of the community,

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Speaker 3: particularly the example that you just gave individual remote communities

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Speaker 3: because they are vulnerable, we can potentially put in additional

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Speaker 3: public health measures to keep them safe. But I think

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Speaker 3: you'll see the ONUS flicks. So rather than locking down

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Speaker 3: parts of the territory, it might be that those people

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Speaker 3: that are vaccinated will be able to participate in sort

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Speaker 3: of normal activities and those that aren't vaccinated will unfortunately

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Speaker 3: not be able to. So the owners full shift to

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Speaker 3: provide that in thanks to those people that have vaccinated.

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Speaker 3: The reason for that, Katie, is the health advice. If

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Speaker 3: you're vaccinated, you're far less likely to have a severe

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Speaker 3: illness and to need hospitalization and high level acute care

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Speaker 3: in hospital.

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Speaker 2: When do you reckon?

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Speaker 1: We're going to start to see that shift in terms of,

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Speaker 1: you know, allowing those who have been double vaxed to

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Speaker 1: be able to have more freedoms and those who haven't

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Speaker 1: well not able to have those same freedoms.

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Speaker 3: To Katie, we expect the vaccine rollout, as I was

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Speaker 3: just saying, it is rapidly gaining pace during September and October,

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Speaker 3: and that's because we're seeing the significant numbers of vaccine

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Speaker 3: come into the territory. We're seeing the Commonwealth get extra

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Speaker 3: supplies from overseas Singapore in the UK, and so that

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Speaker 3: vaccine supply will come through. So I think in the

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Speaker 3: next couple of months it will be a different picture.

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Speaker 3: But of course we'll have to work with our health

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Speaker 3: officials to make sure that we don't We want to

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Speaker 3: keep the virus out. That's the main measure, because we

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Speaker 3: know that not having the virus means that we have

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Speaker 3: relatively no restrictions and we can freely move about our community.

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Speaker 3: But we certain will work with our health officials as

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Speaker 3: we move forward with those higher rates of vaccination that

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Speaker 3: we expect.

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Speaker 1: We do know though, the likes of New South Wales

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Speaker 1: and Victoria they want to open those borders once vaccination

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Speaker 1: targets are reached, will we be opening the borders to them.

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Speaker 3: So in terms of people being able to come in

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Speaker 3: from other communities, we want to try and keep that

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Speaker 3: virus out, but there might be an incentive KADI for

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Speaker 3: people that are vaccinated. But I think we're still a

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Speaker 3: few weeks away from those types of discussions and those

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Speaker 3: decisions being made. What I'm focused on now is really

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Speaker 3: listing that vaccination rate, and we are seeing that happen.

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Speaker 1: All right, So are we going to I mean, if

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Speaker 1: we're in a situation though, where you know, we're some

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Speaker 1: elements of the Northern Territory community are double vaxed. You've

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Speaker 1: said that there will be freedoms for some that others

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Speaker 1: will not be able to have if they're not at

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Speaker 1: that point. But could we actually have a situation where

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Speaker 1: people who are not well, people who you know that

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Speaker 1: the borders could essentially stay shut to some of those locations,

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Speaker 1: some of those more emotional regional areas, if their vaccination

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Speaker 1: rates are not high enough.

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Speaker 2: But here in Darwen they are, Katy, all of us.

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Speaker 3: Want to keep our community stake. We don't want to

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Speaker 3: overburden our health system, and we're certainly working closely not

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Speaker 3: only with the Aboriginal medical organizations but the land outcools.

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Speaker 3: They do control who goes into communities and who comes out,

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Speaker 3: and so I think their leadership will be important in

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Speaker 3: making those decisions that you just asked about.

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Speaker 1: Just on that, how are you ensuring I guess, as

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Speaker 1: the health minister, making sure that our hospitals are prepared

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Speaker 1: if we do open I mean, presumably we're going to

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Speaker 1: see COVID in the community if those boarders do open up.

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Speaker 1: But obviously we're hoping that our vaccination rates are going

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Speaker 1: to be high enough that it won't have a huge impact.

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Speaker 2: But how are you.

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Speaker 1: Preparing to make sure the hospitals are up to where

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Speaker 1: they need to be.

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Speaker 3: Just before I answer that specific question, Katie, I'd like

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Speaker 3: to reiterate to your listeners that the vaccination is the

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Speaker 3: best thing they can do to help our hard working doctors, nurses,

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Speaker 3: everyone involved in our health system, because if you're vaccinated,

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Speaker 3: you're far less likely to have a severe illness. In

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Speaker 3: terms of preparing our health system, we have been doing

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Speaker 3: that all the way since the virus first started appearing

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Speaker 3: early last year, and we have to prepare for different scenarios, Kaiti,

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Speaker 3: and so right now we are looking at what's happening

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Speaker 3: in miss South Wales, particularly the rates of hospitalization, the

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Speaker 3: rate of intensive care, and making sure that if we

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Speaker 3: were to see the virus come into our community, what

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Speaker 3: would our preparations need to be, How many beds would

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Speaker 3: we need, So there is a range of scenario testing

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Speaker 3: that has been and will continue to be undertaken.

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Speaker 1: And you're confident that we are actually at the law

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Speaker 1: at the point that we need to be if if

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Speaker 1: we do open up to the rest of Australia.

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Speaker 3: Heati, we need everyone to be vaccinated. My ideal situation

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Speaker 3: would be one hundred percent of territories vaccinated. We have

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Speaker 3: people that you know usually get vaccinated in the territory

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Speaker 3: and so I'm confident that territorians will respond. I believe

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Speaker 3: there is a shift happening around the COVID vaccine. That's

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Speaker 3: what people can do.

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Speaker 1: But the reality is is the hospital where it needs

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Speaker 1: to be or is it not at this point unless

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Speaker 1: those vaccination rates are up.

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Speaker 3: So Katie, coming back to our hospitals, as I said,

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Speaker 3: there's done a range of scenario testing, but the less

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Speaker 3: cases that need hospitalization or of course will be a

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Speaker 3: better situation for our health and our hospital system. That's

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Speaker 3: the best way to do that is to be vaccinated,

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Speaker 3: all right.

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Speaker 1: There are reports in the paper today that Northern Territory

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Speaker 1: Police forire and emergency service staff who refuse to get

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Speaker 1: a COVID nineteen vaccine might be required to wear a

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Speaker 1: mask while they're on the job.

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Speaker 2: Do you reckon that's appropriate?

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Speaker 3: Okatie, that would be an operational decision for the Territory

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Speaker 3: Control and the Police Commission and based on healthyvice.

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Speaker 1: Now, but I guess based on that health advice, do

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Speaker 1: you reckon that it is appropriate? And is it something

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Speaker 1: that we'll maybe see in other departments as.

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Speaker 3: Well, Katy, I think that it's important for people to

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Speaker 3: do their research around the vaccine. It's safe, it's effective,

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Speaker 3: it's been rigorously tested, and even though the vaccine roll

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Speaker 3: out only gaining significant numbers in Australia, these parts are

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Speaker 3: the seeds of the population that have been vaccinated for

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Speaker 3: a significant period of time. They actually have had booster

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Speaker 3: shots and what they're seeing is that it's the best

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Speaker 3: tool for keeping them out of hospital and stopping them

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Speaker 3: having severe illness. So I encourage everyone. I know that

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Speaker 3: people are hesitant, they feel like the vaccine has been

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Speaker 3: developed quickly, They feel like they might have an underlying

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Speaker 3: special health condition. But they should talk to their medical professionals,

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Speaker 3: not look to social media in making those decisions. The

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Speaker 3: vaccine is safe, it is effective, and it's the best tool.

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Speaker 2: Minister.

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Speaker 1: Just a couple of quick ones I know your press

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Speaker 1: for time, as are we. It has been reported today

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Speaker 1: by the ABC that the government is not going to

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Speaker 1: make public a draft internal review of the handling of

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Speaker 1: the Tanami mind COVID nineteen outbreak two months ago. This

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Speaker 1: is the cluster which obviously caused the territory to go

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Speaker 1: into lockdown for five days. As I understand it, it's

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Speaker 1: a Northern Territory Police and Emergency Services internal review. Do

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Speaker 1: you know why it's not going to be made public.

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Speaker 3: That's an operational document, is my understanding. I wasn't aware

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Speaker 3: of it until it was being talked about in the media.

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Speaker 3: It would be a question for the Territory Controller is.

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Speaker 1: There going to be a more broad review happening into

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Speaker 1: that lockdown and the government's handling offers.

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Speaker 3: So, Katie, we've been doing work in our individual agencies

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Speaker 3: and working with different sexes around not specifically the ton

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Speaker 3: of my lockdown, but we've had two lockdowns here in

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Speaker 3: the territory and obviously we were very thankful that they

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Speaker 3: were short, sharp lockdowns and then we were able to

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Speaker 3: ease the lockdown and have some restrictions. We've been doing

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Speaker 3: work with health around if we were to see and

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Speaker 3: the point of those lockdowns is to stop everyone's movement

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Speaker 3: and make sure that we can isolate those that need

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Speaker 3: to be isolated. But going forward, if we do need

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Speaker 3: to see those types of lockdowns, what are some of

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Speaker 3: the activities that we can quickly allow to get back

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Speaker 3: up and running and what health measures would they need

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Speaker 3: in place? So we've been more focused on what we

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Speaker 3: can do in a different way next time. Of course,

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Speaker 3: you know, I believe that, especially with the second lockdown,

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Speaker 3: people responded extremely well. They listening to the messaging. But

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Speaker 3: we haven't done any specific reviews or orders to do

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Speaker 3: any reviews. There's been individual portfolio work around it.

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Speaker 1: Now I know that you are actually out this morning,

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Speaker 1: I think releasing a strategy to drive territory tourism. This

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Speaker 1: is certainly an area that you know a lot of

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Speaker 1: people are hoping that we see some real traction, particularly

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Speaker 1: in the likes of Central Australia. What is this strategy

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Speaker 1: all about today?

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Speaker 3: So we stood our ten year plan around people exactly

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Speaker 3: just just said Patie, who are driving those road holidays

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Speaker 3: and I think there'll be a significant market. You know,

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Speaker 3: it's already something that people love to do is get

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Speaker 3: out and explore the outback in their own vehicle. But

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Speaker 3: this is making sure that our territory tourism and hospitality

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Speaker 3: operated links the benefits of that and so it's attracting

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Speaker 3: new growth markets to increase those visitor numbers. We want

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Speaker 3: particularly to focus on increasing the length of visitors day.

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Speaker 3: So if people are driving up the Stuart Highway, particularly

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Speaker 3: to get to Lipsfield or Pakado, what can we do

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Speaker 3: to keep them in our regions and spend more money

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Speaker 3: in our wonderful operators. This is a really important strategy

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Speaker 3: and I would like to acknowledge everyone that's been involved,

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Speaker 3: and particularly those tourism operators. And so it's seen consultation

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Speaker 3: with industry and government. It's guided the development of the strategy,

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Speaker 3: and we want to make sure that we ensure those

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Speaker 3: tourism benefits and opportunities right across the board are consitted and.

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Speaker 1: We will make sure that we read through this a

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Speaker 1: little bit more throughout the show as well.

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Speaker 2: Minister.

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Speaker 1: Just finally this morning, we know that the Shadow Minister

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Speaker 1: for Tourism, Murray Claire Boothby, is calling on the government

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Speaker 1: to come clean on whether recent cuts and job losses

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Speaker 1: at the Territory Wildlife Park are in preparation to close

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Speaker 1: one of the territory's most iconic tourist attractions or move

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Speaker 1: it closer to Darwin. Is the government looking to make

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Speaker 1: changes to the.

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Speaker 3: Park, so Katie questions around this would be best directed

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Speaker 3: to the Minister for Parks, Minister Selina Ubo. But there

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Speaker 3: is absolutely no plans to sell to close off the

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Speaker 3: Churchy Wildlife Park. We know it's an important attraction for

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Speaker 3: both territories and also visitors well Minister for Health and

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Speaker 3: also Minister for Tourism.

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Speaker 1: We'll leave it there for this morning. Good to catch

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Speaker 1: up with you. Thank you very much for your time today.

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Speaker 3: Thank you