As the Covid-19 Nightmare spreads across Victoria, while they struggle to maintain control and our heart goes out to them.

The NT Chief Minister is sticking to his decision to open our borders to Victoria on July the 17th, described as “Sheer Idiocy” by Australian Medical Association NT President Dr Robert Parker.

The SA, WA and QLD Premiers have closed their borders to Victoria to keep this Covid-19 Nightmare out of their states.

As we all know, right now our beloved NT is the safest place on planet earth to be, but come July 17th, that could all change if the Covid-19 Nightmare comes to us.

Our Chief Minister is risking too much with his unproven plans to trace and trap Covid-19 once they potentially let it in from Victoria on July the 17th.

There is no guarantee that the Chief Ministers plans to trace and trap Covid-19 will work, why would we risk our lives on it !

Yesterday we had our first case of Covid-19 come in from Victoria where a man in his 30’s spent 3 days in our community before being diagnosed and put into the care of RDH.

As our Government officials endeavour to trace this man’s contacts through the plane ride up from Melbourne to his 3 days in Darwin.

Just imagine if it was a dozen or so cases, come July 17th as hundreds of Victorians flock to the Territory to enjoy the V8 Supercars, Darwin Cup, Landmark and Mindil Markets.

How will they trace the contacts then ?

How will they trap Covid-19 then ?

That’s right ! They probably won’t be able to !

Covid-19 may well be here to stay then !

And rightly, SA, WA and QLD may shut to the NT; once the safest place on planet earth.

Then the Territory may be locked down again, this time to live through the Covid-19 Nightmare.

Community Eradication of Covid-19 can be defined by 28 days without a case of community based spread: NT, SA, WA, QLD, ACT and TAS have achieved this, NSW almost did and Vic definitely have not.

We propose Safe and Sensible Border Opening only to those states and territories that have achieved Community Eradication, whatever that date might be.

As at today, if the borders are to be opened on July the 17th we propose the below:

Safe and Sensible NT Border Opening

1. Do not open to Vic
2. Postpone a decision on NSW, wait and watch for the level of community spread over the next couple of weeks.
3. Open to SA, WA, QLD and perhaps ACT and TAS
But, ACT and TAS travel route to NT via SA, WA, QLD not via Vic or potentially NSW.

If you agree with our Safe and Sensible NT Border Opening please sign this petition that we will submit to the Chief Minister.

UPDATE: NSW has shut their borders to Victoria. The NT is now the only state/territory in Australia that has not shut its borders to Victoria.