The Greater Darwin and Alice Springs lockdowns have ended at 1pm today, with restrictions remaining in place for at least the next week as the NT emerges from its first real COVID-19 scare that saw 10 people officially infected with the Delta variant from an outbreak at a mine.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced the removal of the lockdowns at a noon press conference, after he said “almost all” of 3,502 COVID-19 test results across the Territory have come back negative.

“In addition to that, we are confident that the close contacts from the Buff Club and the Zumba site have been located, and isolated,” he said.

“Every result is negative, but because they are close contacts, they will stay in isolation for the full 14 days, still, and the casual contacts will stay in isolation until they return a negative result.

“And the thing that really sealed the deal for us in the Top End is a new round of wastewater testing for Darwin, which has come back negative.”

Mr Gunner said similar positive results were found in Alice Springs, adding that the infected mine worker who spent seven hours at the airport last week was found not have been infectious at that time.

Restrictions will remain in place in Greater Darwin and Alice Springs until 1pm next Friday, July 9, including mandatory masks for public places where a 1.5 metre distance cannot be maintained and on public transport and at work.

Hospitality venues will be required to open but patrons will have to sit for anything other than takeaway; contact sports will not be allowed and there will be a limit of 10 people at any home until next Friday.

Mr Gunner said the new rules will provide an “extra level of protection, as we step out of lockdown and get back to normal”.

He did not provide a new date for Territory Day celebration.

Mr Gunner thanked health officials and police for the job they did during the lockdown and appeared to choke back tears when discussing the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in remote Indigenous communities.

Chief health officer Hugh Heggie also became visibly upset about the thought of Indigenous people becoming infected.

“I think we’ve dodged a bullet, thanks to the very early response which included lockdown,” he said.

“So I want to thank everybody and get everybody to enjoy the weekend. Please … wear a mask and please do not go out anywhere if you have any signs of a respiratory infection or other symptoms.”