Aquatic and fitness facilities reopen as Northern Territory Government eases COVID restrictions in Greater Darwin and Katherine

The Northern Territory Government has further eased COVID restrictions in Greater Darwin and Katherine with aquatic facilities, gyms, markets and nightclubs now reopened and contact sport able to resume.

The changes, introduced yesterday lunchtime, no longer require masks to be worn in public places.

However, while Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles welcomed the easing of restrictions, she suggested they could return if Delta outbreaks continue in NSW and Victoria.

Minister Fyles told ABC Radio Darwin "the virus is spreading in the east coast and on that eastern seaboard.

"With this new Delta variant, we've even changed the practices within the (Howard Springs quarantine) facility for people staying there, so we're able to manage that quarantining quite specifically."

New arrivals at Howard Springs are now being split into pods of 200 people to make it easier for health workers to isolate the facility in the event of an outbreak.

The Northern Territory Government has also said that daily wastewater testing in Greater Darwin and Katherine has returned negative results.