The first 2 months of COVID-19 contact tracing in the Northern Territory of Australia, March-April 2020

Authors

  • Anthony DK Draper Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.;Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Karen E Dempsey Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.;Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Rowena H Boyd Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Emma M Childs Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Hayley M Black Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Laura A Francis Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Peter G Markey Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
  • Vicki L Krause Centre for Disease Control, Public Health Unit, Top End Health Service, Northern Territory Government Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2020.44.53

Keywords:

Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, contact tracing, Northern Territory, Australia

Abstract

The Northern Territory (NT) Centre for Disease Control (CDC) undertook contact tracing of all notified cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within the NT. There were 28 cases of COVID-19 notified in the NT between 1 March and 30 April 2020. In total 527 people were identified as close contacts over the same period; 493 were successfully contacted; 445 were located in the NT and were subsequently quarantined and monitored for disease symptoms daily for 14 days after contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. Of these 445 close contacts, 4 tested positive for COVID-19 after developing symptoms; 2/46 contacts who were cruise ship passengers (4.3%, 95% CI 0.5–14.8%) and 2/51 household contacts (3.9%, 95% CI 0.5–13.5%). None of the 326 aircraft passengers or 4 healthcare workers who were being monitored in the NT as close contacts became cases.

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Published

02/07/20

How to Cite

Draper, Anthony DK, Karen E Dempsey, Rowena H Boyd, Emma M Childs, Hayley M Black, Laura A Francis, Peter G Markey, and Vicki L Krause. 2020. “The First 2 Months of COVID-19 Contact Tracing in the Northern Territory of Australia, March-April 2020 ”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 44 (July). https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2020.44.53.

Issue

Vol. 44 (2020)

Section

Short report

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