9news– The UK variant of the COVID-19 virus has been confirmed in an overseas traveller who returned to the Northern Territory.
The 26-year-old woman arrived on a repatriation flight from London on December 30 and her positive test record was announced on January 2.
All genomic testing is done interstate and yesterday, the woman’s results came back positive for the more virulent UK strain, which is already on Australian shores.
This is the first case reported in the NT.
There were no other positive cases detected on the flight the woman returned on and she is currently in isolation at the NT Centre for National Resilience in Howard Springs.
Australian Medical Assistance Team Paramedic, Abigail Trewin said the woman was asymptomatic and regardless of the strain of the virus, it was important to treat all cases with the same vigilance.
“We are doing everything we possibly can to guarantee the safety of everyone in isolation,” she said.
“We do know everyone else onboard that flight has tested negative and the woman was travelling with a companion and so far, all testing on the partner has come back negative too.”
Ms Trewin said all passengers are tested before boarding the flight, twice on arrival and again after 12 days.
All other passengers and flight crew on the positive case’s flight are also in isolation at the same venue and have already been tested twice since arriving on December 30, returning negative results.
Since confirmation of the case in the woman with the UK strain, everyone from the flight has been tested again today as a precaution.
