Another remote community in the Northern Territory has been plunged into lockdown, after wastewater samples in Lajamanu tested positive for coronavirus.
The lockdown took immediate effect on Saturday night in the community of about 500 people located 560 kilometres south-west of Katherine.
Lockdown restrictions eased for fully vaccinated people in Katherine on Saturday, with the recording of one new local case bringing the outbreak total to 53.
Two out of the three Aboriginal communities affected by the outbreak — Robinson River and Rockhole — have exited lockdown, while the restrictions remain in place for the community of Binjari on the edge of Katherine.
NT health authorities said a rapid assessment team was being sent to Lajamanu on Saturday night.
Residents are not allowed to leave their homes except for the five essential reasons of medical treatment, essential work, shopping for essentials, one hour of exercise and for caring purposes or in the case of an emergency.
Anyone who visited Lajamanu or the surrounding homelands since November 15 is required to isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
The vaccination rate for Lajamanu is less than 70 per cent, according to information on the NT government's coronavirus website.
