NT wants India’s flight break to last all of May

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory has said the government of the Northwest Territories wants to end repatriation flights from India throughout May, beyond the current federal government hiatus until to May 15.

The NT is grappling with 55 active coronavirus cases, the highest number active since the start of the pandemic.

The majority are returning travelers from India while a handful are US Marines based in the Top End for training.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the number of cases will have to change before flights from India resume, so that the health care system is not overwhelmed.

The Northern Territory chief minister said the health system has almost reached the “peak” of what it can handle, with 55 active cases of the coronavirus currently in the NT.

Most of the cases are Australians repatriated from India or US Marines on rotation in the Northwest Territories.

There has been no community transmission of the coronavirus in the Northern Territory since the start of the pandemic.

Repatriation flights from India have been suspended until at least May 15, with the federal government due to reassess the situation on that date.

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner has said he would prefer flights to India not to resume until at least June.