Dozens of Indigenous Australians are being taken from their towns by the army and driven to quarantine facilities as a Covid outbreak in a remote area threatens to spiral out of control, with hundreds now living in the world's toughest lockdown.
Binjari and Rockhole communities in the Northern Territory are experiencing spikes in Covid cases due to overcrowded living situations and low vaccination rates.
There are now 51 cases in the area, in an outbreak that is the first of its kind in an Indigenous community, leading to the harshest lockdown ever seen in Australia - and currently the world - with the townspeople banned from even shopping for essentials or taking a walk.
Authorities have also began moving positive cases and close contacts to the Howard Springs quarantine facility near Darwin to stop the spread of the virus within the at-risk communities.
An Aboriginal elder from Larrakia country named Julie Mills posted an impassioned video to Facebook saying she was unable to get in contact with people from the area and accused the government of taking people against their will.
However, an Indigenous man named Luke Ellis, who is currently quarantining at the facility, said everyone came willingly and were being treated well - blasting any comparisons to the experiences of the Stolen Generation.
Binjari and Rockhole communities in the Northern Territory are experiencing spikes in Covid cases due to overcrowded living situations and low vaccination rates (pictured, a roadblock outside Katherine on Tuesday)
Authorities have began moving positive cases and close contacts to the nearby Howard Springs quarantine facility (pictured) to stop the spread of the virus within the at-risk communities
'My grandmother was stolen generation. To compare what I'm going through in this camp to what she and her generation went through us disgusting,' he tweeted on Wednesday morning.
'I'm in a nice room with my own aircon. I'm sitting back watching Netflix on free WiFi. I had barra with garlic butter and broccolini for dinner.
'I'm in constant contact with loved ones. Any comparison to stolen generation is spitting on what those poor souls went through in those days.'
There have been 38 people transported from the at-risk Indigenous communities to Howard Springs so far.
The remaining residents who choose to stay in the remote towns are under the world's harshest lockdowns, with people unable to leave their homes even for the normal five reasons - exercise, shopping, healthcare, work or education.
Instead people can 'only leave for medical treatment, or if required by law', with Mr Gunner confirming the cases that have been moved to Howard Springs.
There are hundreds of people currently quarantining in the Darwin facility (pictured), including people returning from overseas as well as at-risk Indigenous Australians
Mr Ellis, who is fully vaccinated, had been visiting the communities trying to educate and encourage people to seek the vaccine but contracted Covid while visiting the towns (pictured, the Howard Springs centre where he is in quarantine)
Mr Ellis, who is fully vaccinated, had been visiting the communities trying to educate and encourage people to seek the vaccine (pictured, Covid testing in Katherine on Tuesday)
'It's highly likely that more residents will be transferred to Howard Springs today, either as positive cases or close contacts,' he said Wednesday.
'We have already identified 38 close contacts from Binjari but that number will go up. Those 38 are being transferred now.'
The measures are set to remain in place for at least the next 14 days.
So far there have been 51 positive cases of Covid within the current NT outbreak, with hundreds of close contacts coming largely from the remote Indigenous communities of Katherine, Binjari and Robinson River.
Four people are currently in hospital, all of whom are unvaccinated.
Mr Ellis, who is fully vaccinated, had been visiting the communities trying to educate and encourage people to seek the vaccine - but contracted Covid while visiting the towns.
She slammed the idea of comparing people in quarantine facilities to the Stolen Generation
Mr Ellis said they were being treated well with free WiFi and Netflix at the Howard Springs facility
He said the jab was never forced upon anyone and blamed misinformation for the distrust in the areas.
'People have
