That is bad news for many businesses that will reopen or expand their operations from Friday such as bars and clubs, entertainment venues, casinos and cinemas as they will not be legally able to accept as many patrons as before the restrictions.

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she believed that social or physical distancing was here to stay and was the new normal.

She had even noticed benefits separate to beating COVID-19.

"We are already seeing other benefits in terms of the common cold and the flu and people being generally unwell," Ms Fyles told reporters.

"I don't know about your households but I feel my household has been healthier through this and the children have certainly been washing their hands and using disinfectant so these measures are certainly here to stay for a while."

That was anecdotal and the health department was looking into it, she said.

So while life is going back to a relative or new normal on Friday with people again able to go to a bar and stand up, go to the movies or theatre and play contact team sports it will still be different to three months ago.

Venues must ensure four square metres of space per person and 1.5 metres between people which means businesspeople cannot fill their businesses and will therefore have fewer customers and less income.

Ms Fyles said she recognised that was difficult and a challenge for businesses but until there was a cure or vaccine the rules had to be maintained and the evidence in other countries was that the risk of the coronavirus increased whenever measures were eased.

"It is a balance between how difficult the measure is and how much it does protect the community from any possible transmission," she said.

The NT has been free of any active coronavirus cases for nearly a fortnight.

However it had recorded its highest rate of testing last week, with 950 people undergoing tests, Ms Fyles said, out of a total of more than 8200 tests so far.

Australian Associated Press