Northern Territory health experts say they are "alarmed" about a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, saying the territory's infection rate is growing at a higher rate per capita than the national average.
Their warning comes as coronavirus cases rise across the country, marking the start of what Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has described as the start of a new Omicron wave.
Professor Kelly said the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the COVID-19 Omicron strain were highly infectious, and that cases were expected to surge in coming weeks.
Data shows that surge may have already started in the Northern Territory, which recorded 671 cases on Tuesday — the highest daily caseload since February and a dramatic jump from 469 cases on Monday.
This puts the NT's seven-day rolling average case numbers at 496.
That's higher percentage per capita than the national average, according to John Paterson, chief executive of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliances of the Northern Territory (AMSANT).
"[The figures] make us 22 per cent above the national per capita average on a seven-day rolling average, which is alarming and concerning for our members," he said.
"So, we've got to seriously consider perhaps some mandatory public health measures, especially for our most at-risk population and our community members.
There has also been a major increase in hospitalisations, with the numbers jumping from 43 to 63 in the last 24 hours.
Call for masks to return
Mr Paterson said the NT government should consider reintroducing mask mandates to combat rising cases.
Darwin-based UNSW epidemiologist Dr Kalinda Griffiths agreed more could be done to reduce the spread.
Vaccination rates, tourism season contributing to higher case numbers
Mr Paterson said Aboriginal health organisations were working on a renewed push to lift vaccination rates in the territory, especially in remote communities.
Dr Griffiths said the NT's vaccination rates — which were a "little bit lower" than most states and territories among five to 15-year-olds — were impacting the infection rate.
"Our population distribution is much younger than other jurisdictions," she said.
Dr Griffiths said the Top End dry season had attracted tourists to town, also increasing the spread of COVID.
"People aren't going to necessarily abide by some of those rules and regulations as well because they are on holidays," she said.
"In the NT we have a lot of quite large grouping events, things like the Mindil Beach Markets, things like the outdoor cinemas.
"All those spaces — even though they are outdoors which can assist with ventilation — if people aren't wearing masks, they can still transmit disease quite readily."
Pressure on hospital system grows
Dr Stephen Gourley, the NT chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), said the territory's rising COVID-19 cases were heaping more pressure on hospitals.
"We’re no longer locking down and we’re no longer worrying about flattening the curve, so there is quite a surge of people coming through, and we’re expecting that surge to get bigger," he said.
The squeeze was also being felt at "overloaded" GP clinics, according to Dr Lionel Compton, who owns the Top End GP clinic Arafura Medical.
"We're just at the beginning of another wave and we are all going to be knackered in a few weeks," he said.
Dr Compton said GPs would likely have to deal with the spike in COVID-19 patients by delaying some other treatments.
"I guess if we get overwhelmed with COVID enquires, we will just have to not do other stuff [like blood pressure tests and skin cancer interventions] for a time until it's all over," he said.
"Because COVID is pretty acute, you've got to get to it in a few days."
NT Cabinet Minister Paul Kirby told reporters on Tuesday that the NT government would "take the health advice" on reinstating mask mandates.
"We know that, locally over the next week or two, there will still be more cases on board," he said.
"You've heard them talk down south that it might be a month or so that we're at these really high rates."
