The number of people with COVID-19 in Northern Territory hospitals has decreased slightly to 129, but there are more people in intensive care and in need of oxygen.
It comes as the NT today announced its third COVID-related death.
The woman was from Mutitjulu, a remote Aboriginal community near the base of Uluru, and died at the Alice Springs Hospital on Monday.
The NT government initially said the woman's passing would not be counted in the COVID toll as coronavirus "was not the cause of death".
However, Ms Fyles said today her death would be added to the tally.
There are now 129 people in hospitals across the Northern Territory with COVID-19, 13 of whom need oxygen, with five patients in the ICU.
There are 31 patients with COVID-19 in Alice Springs hospital, four in Katherine, five in Gove, and 89 in Royal Darwin Hospital.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles today announced 1,201 new cases of COVID-19, including 68 which are being added to Tuesday's tally.
Of the 1,133 in today's caseload, 985 were from positive rapid antigen tests (RATs).
It is the largest number of infections recorded in a 24-hour period in the NT to date.
Tuesday's tally has now been revised up to 1,038.
NT's COVID peak likely to be reached soon
Ms Fyles said more than 60 per cent of today's cases were in the Top End, and about 20 per cent in Central Australia.
“Active cases Territory-wide is 6,576 and our rolling seven-day average of cases is 940," she said.
"We've certainly seen the increasing case numbers that we expected as the school holidays came to an end and school returned."
Acting Deputy Chief Health Officer Charles Pain said authorities hoped the NT's caseload would "peak" in the next few days.
"We were seeing over 1,000 cases a day, we expected this, this number to be reached it may go higher," he said.
Dr Pain said the pressure on the NT's health system was "significant at the moment" with a strain on resources.
He also urged people to get vaccinated, and get their boosters, as soon as possible.
Maningrida outbreak grows
An outbreak in the West Arnhem Aboriginal community of Maningrida has grown to 35 cases.
“We're just working with them around what additional resources may need to be provided [to the community],” Ms Fyles said.
Wadeye, a community formerly known as Port Keats, reported new 44 cases overnight.
Lock-ins are in place in the communities of Ampilatwatja, Milikapiti, Galiwin'ku, Milingimbi and Palumpa until 2pm on February 6.
On Tuesday, Ms Fyles flagged a lock-in could be introduced in Maningrida to limit the spread of coronavirus.
During a lock-in, residents can move freely within the area, but are not able to leave unless it is for an authorised reason.
Mutitjulu death in the spotlight
Dr Pain said the woman who passed away Monday was a "very significant" member of the Mutitjulu community.
She died at the Alice Springs Hospital, four days into her infection.
Dr Pain said the woman had one COVID vaccine, which was very recent and "wouldn't have given her greater protection".
"I was aware of that death and I did look at the details at the time," Dr Pain said.
"And I have to say I didn't consider it was was COVID-related.
"However, we are tightening up on our definitions now and our application of that definition."
Under Australia's national guidelines, a COVID-19 death was defined "as a death in a confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID-19".
