Northern Territory has Australia's highest Covid hospitalisation rate, more admissions expected

The Northern Territory now has Australia's highest rate of Covid-related hospitalisations per capita, with a rate nearly double the figure seen during New South Wales's coronavirus peak.

Deakin University chair of epidemiology Catherine Bennett said at New South Wales' peak, the state had roughly 3.5 patients hospitalised with coronavirus per 10,000 residents.

By comparison, she calculated the Northern Territory (NT) now had roughly 6.32 Covid-related hospitalisations per 10,000 people.

Professor Bennett said the territory's high hospitalisation wasn't altogether surprising, considering many people in the NT had a "high risk profile".

"A greater number of people with complex health conditions are more likely to be treated in hospital as a precaution," she said.

Bennett said coronavirus also "exacerbated" pre-existing health conditions, which meant many patients who already unwell were admitted to hospital for early treatment to prevent severe Covid-19 disease or for close monitoring.

"Everything's exacerbated because you've got Covid on top," she said.

There are now 156 Covid-positive patients in hospitals across the NT, most of whom are being treated at Royal Darwin Hospital.

The territory has recorded five coronavirus-related deaths to date, three of which have been announced in the past week.