NT's chief health officer 'personally terrified' about potential second wave outbreak as restrictions ease

The Northern Territory's Chief Health Officer is "personally terrified" about a potential COVID-19 outbreak, with thousands of businesses re-opening across the NT this weekend.

Stage two of the territory's restrictions will be lifted on Friday at midday with cafes, restaurants and bars resuming trading, alongside beauty salons, gyms, libraries and places of religious worship.

"I'm terrified because if we do have an outbreak here, we need to be prepared for it," Dr Hugh Heggie said.

"We need you to cooperate - I don't want to see the dreadful harm that is done elsewhere in the world."

While Dr Heggie said local businesses are relying on the easing of restrictions to stay afloat, he urged Territorians to be "personally responsible" in accessing services and maintaining physical distancing.

"We need to be very anxious," he said.

"We are vulnerable and border restrictions are one of the main tools that the Territory and Australia has got where we've got without the harm done."

Read more: What's re-opening and what isn't around Australia

There are just two active cases of COVID-19 left in the Northern Territory, and so far, no deaths or cases of community transmission have been recorded.

More than 5,000 coronavirus tests have also been conducted since the start of the pandemic.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles urged residents to limit their interactions to people they work and live with but encouraged dining out again.

"The smaller those social circles are, the easier that will be," she said.

"We'll certainly be working be working with the business community around an educative approach, we won't be coming in and simply stopping trade or putting fines in place - we want this to work."

All services carried out under the stage two restrictions must be completed in less than two hours, and drinks must be served with food at restaurants and bars.

Stage three is marked for June 5, when all businesses will be able to resume operations in the territory so long as they have a COVID-19 safety plan in place.

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