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Health

Domestic travellers no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID to enter the NT

Interstate arrivals to the NT who were not double-dosed were previously liable for a fine of over $5,000. (AAP: Paul Miller)

The NT government has quietly lifted a ban preventing people who have not received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from entering the Northern Territory.

The rule was the government's last major border policy directed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.

The Northern Territory had been closed off to arrivals who were not at least double vaccinated since November 22 last year.

At the time Chief Minister Michael Gunner warned unvaccinated arrivals could be fined more than $5,000 and turned around when they landed.

"It makes no sense for Territorians to do the right thing and get the jab only for us to keep letting in people from interstate who have not yet done the right thing," he said last year.

The Chief Health Officer direction that barred unvaccinated arrivals was revoked on Friday afternoon.

The NT government has not explicitly announced the ban on unvaccinated arrivals has been lifted. However, on Friday afternoon a government spokesperson confirmed the rule was no longer in place.

Earlier on Friday the NT government issued a statement announcing the Chief Health Officer had removed the requirement for domestic arrivals to complete a border entry form.

"As the Territory transitions to living with COVID it is important its resources continue to be directed where they are of most use," the statement said.

"With high vaccination rates in the Territory and across the country it has become an unnecessary use of resources to require all travellers to complete a border entry form to enter the Territory."

A page relating to travel information on the NT government's website says there are "no longer any entry restrictions on people arriving in the Northern Territory and no requirement for a border entry form".

The ABC has contacted the NT government for comment.

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