The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in the Northern Territory, with the first jabs expected within 24 hours.
Two boxes of about 1000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at Darwin Airport on a Qantas flight from Sydney about 11.30am on Sunday.
Health workers are on Monday expected to start administering the first doses to the NT's most vulnerable people and at-risk frontline virus workers, beginning the initial Phase 1A of the rollout.
This includes medical staff and workers at the Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility, near Darwin.
Health workers at the Royal Darwin Hospital, disability and aged care residents, and border control workers - including police and airport personnel - will also be prioritised during the first stage of the vaccine rollout.
The Commonwealth's next allocation of vaccine should allow NT Health to deliver the second dose of the virus to the first recipients. It will also be used to begin the second phase of the rollout, about 21 days after the first jabs are administered.
Alice Springs will become the second hub, with the next phase expected in mid-to-late March to include health workers not vaccinated in the first phase.
Others to be vaccinated include police, firefighters, emergency workers, defence personnel and Territorians aged 70 and over, as well as Indigenous Australians over 55 and young adults with medical conditions or a disability.
Currently, only Darwin and Alice Springs have facilities able to store the Pfizer vaccine, which must be kept at minus 70C.
Breaking down the Pfizer trays of 50 vaccine vials - which are very fragile and cannot be shaken - is also expected to be challenging.
Territorians are also expected to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine once it becomes available.
Its less-extreme refrigeration temperature requirements are likely to see it used in remote communities.
Vaccine rollout chief Michelle McKay has previously said health officials were awaiting more information from manufacturers and the Commonwealth about safely transporting the vaccines.
General practitioners and Aboriginal health clinics are expected to deliver the jabs.
Darwin may also become a hub for Australia to roll the vaccine out to other nations.
Earlier, Chief Minister Michael Gunner left self-isolation after testing negative for COVID-19.
Mr Gunner became unwell on Friday morning at the Bombing of Darwin Day commemoration.
He attended the annual ceremony with other dignitaries and gave a 10-minute speech to about 1500 guests at the city's Cenotaph in hot and humid conditions.
On health advice, he was tested for the virus and went into isolation at his home while he waited for the results, which arrived late on Saturday.
"Mr Gunner is negative and he is out of isolation," an NT government spokeswoman said on Sunday.
