Following the detection of 9 positive cases in the small community on 20 November,[3] the Northern Territory Government imposed a hard lockdown, requesting assistance from the Australian Defence Force with relocation and quarantine of infected persons and close contacts due to the vulnerability of the Indigenous population.

[5] NT Police established checkpoints on the road leading in and out of the community, with Defence Personnel providing additional capacity to check vehicles.

[6] As a result of this response, local authorities personally received critical messages from social media users as far away as the United States, claiming that the Army was forcibly removing and vaccinating Aboriginal people against their will.

[8] Despite these claims, a number of Indigenous bodies were supportive of the Territory Government's actions, including the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance and Northern Land Council, who expressed confidence that the measures were appropriate to protect the vulnerable communities from the outbreak.

[4] Representatives of the Defence Force stated their primary role was to assist with the delivery of food, supplies and providing transport for community members to attend medical appointments.