The once-crowded COVID-19 quarantine facility at Howard Springs had just three people isolating there earlier this week, the Northern Territory government has confirmed.
The Centre for National Resilience (CNR) on Darwin's outskirts has played a critical role in Australia's defence against the spread of coronavirus.
At its peak, around 3,000 domestic travellers and repatriated Australians were isolating for two weeks at the former Inpex workers' village.
But with the easing of border rules and the introduction of home quarantine, demand for the facility has plummeted.
"There's less than half a dozen, but I haven't got the latest figure, but it's certainly quite a small amount," Health Minister Natasha Fyles told Darwin's Mix FM on Friday morning.
Ms Fyles' spokeswoman later clarified the facility's daily numbers had fluctuated between three and nine people this week.
COVID-positive people and close contacts can use the facility if they do not have anywhere else to isolate.
Hundreds still employed by the quarantine centre
Almost 250 health staff are employed by the Centre for National Resilience as part of a $513 million funding deal with the Commonwealth.
But the spokeswoman said not all of the workers are currently stationed at the quarantine facility.
"Under an agreement with the Commonwealth Government, staff employed by the CNR are able to work in other areas across NT Health and are recalled to the site as required," she said.
More than 40,000 people have used the Howard Springs facility since the pandemic began, including Australians flown in from Wuhan in China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
Last year, members of the Australian Olympics team isolated at Howard Springs after returning from Japan.
Future of the facility remains unclear
The funding deal with the Commonwealth expires at the end of June, raising questions about the long-term future of the facility.
"The Commonwealth have been providing the resources on invoice until June 30th and then we'll look at transitioning," Ms Fyles said.
"So we still need the asset on standby, but I can absolutely assure people it's not at the full number of [staffing] resources when [Howard Springs] had hundreds and hundreds of people [isolating there]."
The Health Minister's spokeswoman later added: "Planning is underway regarding site utilisation as the Territory moves towards transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic."
Prior to its transformation into a quarantine facility, the former workers' village was costing the NT government $350,000 per month to maintain the then-vacant facility.
On Thursday, Ms Fyles warned COVID cases were expected to rise across the NT in coming weeks.
NT Health reported 458 new COVID cases today in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.
Of those, 405 were detected using rapid antigen tests (RATs).
Nineteen coronavirus patients are in hospital, with one requiring oxygen and three patients in the intensive care unit.
The number of active cases in the NT is 2,653, according to NT government figures.
