A man with COVID-19 has died in Tennant Creek and the number of coronavirus patients in Northern Territory hospitals has reached a new record of 95.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the man, whose age was unknown, died of a cardiac arrest and was in the "early stages of COVID".
"At this stage, we're not recording this death as a COVID-19 death," she said.
"But I did think it was important for the public to be aware that sadly this gentleman has passed away."
Of the people in hospital, 15 are receiving oxygen and four are in intensive care.
It follows the NT recording 626 new COVID-19 cases in the last reporting period.
Ms Fyles said 278 cases had been added to Wednesday's case total, bringing the total to 778 – a new daily record case total for the NT.
She said the number had increased following the processing of extra rapid antigen tests.
Ms Fyles urged people in the Northern Territory to upload their positive rapid antigen test results as soon as possible onto the NT government's coronavirus website.
Six new coronavirus cases were recorded in the Alice Springs Correctional Facility, bringing that cluster to 128.
Ms Fyles said testing rates in Central Australia were not high enough to gain a full understanding of the outbreaks in the region.
"So while we are reporting just a handful of cases in communities, we really need people to come forward and get tested so that we can then remain confident we are on top of things," she said.
Ms Fyles said 17 positive cases were recorded from 25 tests conducted in the community of Laramba, west of Alice Springs, yesterday.
The outbreak in Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island grew to 189 after 41 new coronavirus cases were recorded.
Lockdown extended in Milikapiti
A lockdown was due to lift in the Tiwi Islands community of Milikapiti today, but Ms Fyles said the lockdown had been extended to Sunday afternoon due to "a concerning escalation of cases".
There are now 84 active coronavirus cases in the Milikapiti community, meaning about 15 per cent of residents have tested positive to COVID-19.
Five new cases were recorded in Wurrumiyanga.
In Central Australia, four cases were recorded in Mutitjulu and two cases in Amoonguna near Alice Springs.
No cases were recorded in Utopia and Yuendumu, which are currently in a lockdown and lockout respectively.
"We just really encourage residents of those communities to please come forward," Ms Fyles said
"We have seen quite significant overall numbers in those areas."
One in 1,000 patients require intensive care, hospital data shows
Acting Chief Health Officer Charles Pain said the NT had seen the expected "steady rise" in COVID cases.
However, he said "we wouldn't want to see it rise much further than this".
Dr Pain said the hospital figures showed that about one in 1,000 people who get COVID-19 will require intensive care.
"There is a view, unfortunately, that vaccination is not effective against Omicron. That is completely untrue," he said.
"It is very effective and, very importantly, effective [at] preventing death and serious illness. So vaccination is still incredibly important."
He encouraged Territorians to get their booster shots.
Dr Pain also said about 90 per cent of coronavirus patients receiving treatment in NT hospitals were Indigenous Territorians.
"That's what, I'm afraid, we'd expect because of the vulnerability of our communities," he said.
Ms Fyles said the NT's current health measures would remain unchanged despite increasing calls from Aboriginal health organisations for tougher restrictions.
"We believe that the public health measures that are in place are proportionate and appropriate for the COVID situation in the Territory presently," she said.
She said the government had been "very conscious throughout the pandemic that we have one of the most vulnerable populations in Australia and, indeed, the world".
"That is why you've seen us follow that health advice to date and we will continue to do so," she said.
Health Minister clarifies funding of hospital ward acquisition
Last Week, Darwin Private Hospital said the NT government had acquired a ward at the hospital.
At the time, the hospital released a statement saying the ward would accept non-COVID patients to help ease pressure on public beds.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Commonwealth would be footing the bill for the acquisition of the hospital’s Corella Ward.
“There's a national partnership agreement under the pandemic response that we’ve got. Under that, the Australian government covers those private hospital expenses," he said.
On Thursday, however, Ms Fyles told ABC Radio Darwin that the cost of the ward beds used under the agreement was split 50-50 between the NT government and the Commonwealth.
She said the government was currently using 15 out of the 23 beds in the Corella Ward.
Under the agreement, the governments split the cost of these beds, while the Commonwealth pays for the eight beds currently on stand-by.
"With the Corella Ward, we are paying 50 per cent of the activity … if the bed is just being held as part of this COVID response, the Commonwealth will pay 100 per cent of that bed cost," Ms Fyles said.
