A 31-year-old woman who was repatriated from New Delhi to Australia yesterday has tested positive to COVID-19 while in quarantine in Darwin.
Professor Len Notaras, executive director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, confirmed the positive case today.
The woman tested negative before leaving India but recorded a positive test after arriving in Darwin.
"The young lady, who is 31, was screened in India and came back negative in India and upon screening here, with our meticulous screening services, has shown to be positive for COVID-19," he said.
Professor Notaras said the woman was not showing symptoms and was being held in isolation.
"She is asymptomatic and feel perfectly well and is in fact surprised that she showed a positive test," he said.
"There is no threat to the community or indeed to the other residents at the centre."
The woman was travelling with her two children who have also been tested. Their test results are pending.
The woman who has tested positive is not from the NT. Professor Notaras was unable to confirm which state she comes from.
"For the purpose of privacy I really can't get into that, but I can say she's a returning citizen and returning to her family in another state," Professor Notaras said.
Professor Notaras said it wasn't a surprise a passenger on the New Delhi flight — the second of eight special Qantas flights chartered to repatriate Australians from South Africa, Europe and India — had returned a positive result.
The eight flights are set to bring 1,300 Australians home.
"It's not unexpected, we expected it from the very beginning," Professor Notaras said.
"And we will ensure through the strict surveillance and quarantine methods that we are employing that there is no chance of any further spread or spread outside the facility itself."
Professor Notaras said the AUSMAT team who were looking after the woman and her two children were the "best of the best".
The team previously cared for 180 Australians from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who spent two weeks in quarantine earlier this year, and managed Australians repatriated from Wuhan.
"They are the best of the best and will continue to ensure the safety of the centre out there and indeed of the community as a whole," he said.
Professor said the woman would stay in Darwin "at this stage" under the supervision of the AUSMAT staff.
The case has been recorded against the NT's COVID-19 tally, which shows 35 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the Territory, 34 of whom have now recovered.
There have been 57,069 tests conducted in the NT to date.
