Health authorities have slashed the COVID reinfection period in the Northern Territory from 12 to four weeks, as two new sub-variants drive a "third wave" in daily cases.
The change means people in the NT will now be required to get retested for COVID-19 if they experience symptoms 28 days or more after their last infection.
Previously, they were able to wait 84 days.
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, NT Health said the reinfection period was reduced in response to rising COVID infections and reinfections in the NT, which were being driven by the new BA4 and BA5 Omicron sub-variants.
"COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing over the last few weeks in the Territory and we are now seeing a rise in hospital admissions in the Top End Region, particularly at Royal Darwin Hospital this week," Acting NT Chief Health Officer Charles Pain said.
"There are a number of people getting sick enough to need hospital care, and while our hospitals have plans in place to manage this, it is important we do our best to avoid getting COVID and increasing hospital admissions."
The revised reinfection period, which is effective immediately, is in line with a recommendation made by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) last week.
NT Health said positive test results from reinfections would be reported and managed as new cases.
The NT was consistently recording daily COVID-19 case numbers below 400 until early May. But since late last month, cases have been rising again.
Last week, NT Health reported that more than a third of new cases in the NT were being caused by the BA4 or BA5 sub-variant, and warned that hospital admissions were likely to rise this week.
The NT recorded 455 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours up to 4pm on Tuesday.
Of those, 43 people were in hospital, including two in ICU and two requiring oxygen.
In Wednesday's statement, Dr Pain said the NT's daily case numbers were expected to peak in the next week, followed by a "slow" fall.
