Binjari is a small community in the
Northern Territory of Australia. It is located about 13km southwest of
Katherine. At the time of the 2016 census, it had a recorded population of 190. The
Binjari Community Government Council is also a former
NT local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
.
Coronavirus pandemic
Binjari attracted international attention after an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in the community in 2021. Following the detection of 9 positive cases in the small community on 20 November, the
Northern Territory Government imposed a
hard lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
, requesting assistance from the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
with relocation and quarantine of infected persons and close contacts due to the vulnerability of the
Indigenous population.
The measures implemented were some of the toughest in Australia, certainly more so than experienced by any town in the Northern Territory. Residents were not allowed to leave their homes for any reason other than for medical emergencies or where required by law.
established checkpoints on the road leading in and out of the community, with Defence Personnel providing additional capacity to check vehicles.
As a result of this response, local authorities personally received critical messages from social media users as far away as the United States, claiming that the Army was forcibly removing and
vaccinating
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
Aboriginal people against their will. In some cases, the relocation of infected residents was compared to genocide and the
Stolen Generations. Circulation of such misinformation complicated co-ordination of supply deliveries as well as the public health response. Despite these claims, a number of Indigenous bodies were supportive of the Territory Government's actions, including the
Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance and
Northern Land Council, who expressed confidence that the measures were appropriate to protect the vulnerable communities from the outbreak.
Representatives of the Defence Force stated their primary role was to assist with the delivery of food, supplies and providing transport for community members to attend medical appointments.
On 3 December, an
elder
An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority.
Elder or elders may refer to:
Positions Administrative
* Elder (administrative title), a position of authority
Cultural
* North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...
from the community became the first person to die of the disease in the Northern Territory. The lockdown was lifted on 8 December
It was reported that of the estimated 300 people in the community at the start of the lockdown, close to 200 had been transported to the
Howard Springs quarantine facility, away.
Notes
External links
indigenous.gov.au
{{coord, 14, 33, 08.7, S, 132, 10, 57.7, E, type:city_region:AU-NT, display=title
Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory