In Australia’s Northern Territory, COVID-positive citizens and those who have had contact with them are being forced out of their homes by the army and involuntarily transported to quarantine camps via army trucks. The communities where these cases were identified are now in strict lockdown.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Michael Gunner, explained these harsh protocols in a press conference and let the public know that nine people tested positive in the communities of Binjari and Rockhole, the youngest being 17 years old. About 40 people so far are considered to have had “close contact”, and all of them have been forced into these quarantine camps, and Gunner says he expects this number to grow

 

In the press conference, Gunner also expressed his deep concern that there has been “substantial mingling between households in Binjari, as well as mingling back and forth between Binjari and the nearby community of Rockhole”.

Prior to the new COVID cases, residents in these communities were allowed to leave their homes only for the purchase of food and supplies, exercising for up to 2 hours, care/caregiving, work/education if it can’t be done remotely, and to get a COVID vaccination. The residents are now only allowed to leave their homes in the case of an emergency, if they need medical treatment, or if required by law.

Gunner has not held back in expressing his incredible anger towards citizens who choose to not be vaccinated, as well as those who ARE vaccinated but support those who are not. He has been fighting relentlessly to force everyone in the region to get vaccinated. Now, if someone voices an objection to the vaccine mandates, they are to be deemed enemies of the state and could be arrested.

In an interview with The Guardian, a reporter asked Gunner “Do you think at all that your rhetoric around calling people anti-vaxxers, some of whom were vaccinated, has had an impact at all on vaccine take-up in parts of the Territory?”

“No, and I’ll repeat it. If you are anti-mandate, you are absolutely anti-vax. I don’t care what your personal vaccination status is,” replied Gunner, “If you… support anybody who argues against the vaccine, you are an anti-vaxxer. Your personal vaccination status is utterly irrelevant.”

Gunner explicitly rejects any opposition to his vaccine mandate and condemns anyone that would even think of making their own health decisions.