NT communities enter 'hard lockdown' after nine COVID-19 cases discovered

Residents of two Northern Territory towns have entered a "hard COVID-19 lockdown" after nine cases of the virus were discovered overnight.

Nine cases were discovered last night on the outskirts of Katherine in the Binjari community among what is believed to be six different households yesterday afternoon, leading to two towns being sent into a "hard lockdown".

Residents of Binjari and the neighbouring community of Rockhole were last night ordered that they should only leave home for medical reasons or an emergency.

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NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner this afternoon said no new cases had been recorded since the announcement yesterday evening, but that health authorities expected to potentially discover many more cases.

"We do expect the numbers in Bingjari and probably Rockhole to increase," he said.

He confirmed three people in the territory were in hospital with the virus amid the latest outbreak, which began early last week.

A 78-year-old Binjari woman was flown to Royal Darwin Hospital on Saturday night.

The nine cases recorded yesterday include five men and four women aged between 17 and 78.

All are Indigenous Territorians and their vaccination statuses are unknown.

The cases bring the number of cases in the outbreak to 31, after a 31-year-old fully vaccinated Aboriginal woman who tested positive earlier yesterday while already in quarantine.

Mask mandate issued for several NT communities

In response to the new cluster Mr Gunner has also introduced a mask mandate for several surrounding communities in an attempt to stop the virus spreading.

From today residents of Barunga, Daly Waters and Pine Creek must wear a mask when they leave their homes.

Mr Gunner said residents of Binjari and Rockhole, towns which are about 330km south of Darwin, could expect to experience some kind of restrictions for at least the next 14 days.

"At this stage there is very little chance of Binjari leaving lockdown in the next few weeks," he said.

Residents are only allowed to leave their homes for required medical care or an emergency.

NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said residents were notified last night by text, patrols that drove through the communities and loudspeaker announcements.

He said authorities would do everything they could to make the residents lives more comfortable over the lockdown period.

Mr Gunner said a decision on a possible extension of the Greater Katherine and Robinson River lockdowns - which were said to be going to end at 6pm tomorrow - would be made tomorrow.