Northern Territory town enters lockdown as three new local COVID-19 cases are recorded

Another remote Northern Territory community has been plunged into lockdown, while three new local cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the territory overnight.

The town of Lajamanu, about 560 kilometres south-west of Katherine, was sent into lockdown yesterday evening due to its low vaccination rates after COVID-19 was detected in the town's wastewater.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said while no one in the community, which has a population of around 500, had reported having symptoms, the precaution was taken because only around 60 per cent of residents had received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

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Mr Gunner said health authorities had rushed resources to the town, and that it was hoped all residents would be tested for the virus over the next 48 hours.

"We have surged our resources to make sure Lajamanu has everything they need," he said.

The lockdown is set to continue until 6pm on December 11.

Meanwhile, Mr Gunner said the territory had recorded four new cases of COVID-19 overnight, which were all in isolation and had not posed a risk to the community.

One case is a returned traveller from London.

The other three are household are contacts of previous cases, taking the territory's current outbreak to a total of 56 cases.

Mr Gunner said the three local cases, which included a boy aged under 10, had tested positive late in their isolation period, and had possibly picked up the virus from families mingling at the Howard Springs isolation facility.

He said isolation protocols at the facility had since been revised.

Greater Katherine, including the small community of Rockhole, transitioned from being in a lockdown to a lockout at noon yesterday - meaning fully vaccinated residents can live normally while those not fully vaccinated must remain living under lockdown conditions.

The lockout is set to continue until noon on December 7.

The town of Robinson River is also underdoing a lockout, which will continue until December 1.

The community of Binjari is still undergoing a hard lockdown, which requires residents not to leave their homes unless for medical attention or emergencies.

Mr Gunner said another update on the situation in Lajamanu was expected to be given later today when test results began being returned.