Mask mandate in indoor areas could come into effect as soon as next week

The mandating of wearing masks indoors in Tasmania is being considered and could be enacted as soon as next week, authorities have announced. LATEST >>

THE mandating of wearing masks indoors in Tasmania is being considered and could be enacted as soon as next week, authorities have announced.

It comes as a further two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Tasmania, with all three of the state’s active cases now linked to an outbreak in the NSW city of Newcastle.

All are assumed to be carrying the Omicron strain of the virus.

On Friday, Queensland reintroduced a mask-wearing mandate and Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said the state was considering doing the same.

Mr Gutwein said he would have more to say in coming days, but in the meantime encouraged people to wear masks indoors in certain situations.

“If you’re indoors at events, even at a big family gathering and you can’t appropriately socially distance, wear a mask. It’s just the sensible thing to do,’’ he said.

“It will ensure that we can keep our borders open, that we can slow the spread of any transmission and importantly, we can allow people to go about their daily lives.”

WATCH LATEST COVID UPDATE >>

Public Health Director Mark Veitch encouraged people to wear masks as a way to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.

“Masks are a really simple measure,’’ he said.

“They’re cheap, they’re available and we know from the experiences of the larger jurisdictions that had such terrible times of coronavirus in the last year or so, that there is evidence that masks help reduce the spread.

“It will help you reduce the chance that you get infected, it will help reduce the chance that you spread infection to someone else.”

The three positive Covid-19 cases with links to Newcastle all arrived at Hobart Airport on Wednesday on two separate flights.

There are about 62 close contacts overall linked to the cases and many more casual contacts.

The classification of contacts from those on the flights was determined based on whether they

were sitting in proximity to the positive case.

All three people returned a negative test prior to their entry into Tasmania, and are fully vaccinated. They are now in isolation.

MERC: Covid presser at Executive Building.

“What's notable about these cases is that they each had an exposure site in Newcastle, and they were actually different exposure sites in the case of each person,’’ Dr Veitch said.

“We have no suspicion that the people spread the infection between one person and the other person on the plane.”

Dr Veitch said authorities were confident the cases were infected in Newcastle before they came to Tasmania.

Meanwhile, Mr Gutwein said he was not surprised Western Australia had introduced 14 days quarantine for travellers from Tasmania in response to the state’s new Covid-19 cases.

“I would make the point that I’m very pleased that here in Tasmania I’m seeing families being reunited after long absences,’’ he said.

“That won’t be occurring in Western Australia and I think that’s a shame.”

Earlier: Another two Covid cases have been confirmed on Friday morning, bumping up the total active cases in Southern Tasmania to three.

It comes after the first recent positive Covid case was confirmed on Thursday, the day after the border reopening on Wednesday.

Covid tests have surged following the announcement, with 1220 tests in the last 24 hours compared with 807 the day prior.

The three people are currently undertaking the COVID@home program.

First positive case after borders open

December 16, 4pm:

A double vaccinated traveller who had previously tested negative for coronavirus has tested positive for the disease in Tasmania, after touching down in Hobart on the day Tasmania’s border reopened, but it’s not yet known whether he could have the omicron variant.

Premier Peter Gutwein said it wasn’t unexpected.

“As I’ve said on many occasions, Covid will come, and it arrived yesterday (Wednesday),” he said.

“Yesterday morning a man from in his 20s arrived in Hobart from NSW on one of the early morning flights.

“He was an approved traveller, meeting the necessary vaccination and pre testing requirements, having received a negative test prior to his departure as per the rules.”

The man was notified by NSW Health after his arrival that he was a close contact of a case.

“Around the time of their arrival, they reported being alerted by NSW health that they were a contact and because they had been at a hospitality venue in Newcastle last weekend where there was significant transmission of coronavirus,” public health director Mark Veitch said.

“Upon receiving that information, they travelled into the city, the picked up a car in town and they travelled to the show grounds were they were tested.

MERC: Covid presser at Executive Building.

“That test was run yesterday afternoon and came back positive and we were notified.”

It’s not yet known whether the case is the omicron variant which is on the rise interstate.

“We won’t know until further testing has been done which will be either tomorrow or Saturday,” Mr Veitch said.

MERC: Covid presser at Executive Building.

“In the meantime we are managing this case as if they have the omicron strain.”

The man is in quarantine, along with a taxi driver and a family member who travelled with the positive case are close contacts.

Passengers sitting two rows in front of the home, two rows behind him and next to him are close contacts, with 19 in total,”

The 78 other passengers are casual contacts and will be required to wear masks in public for two weeks

“This will be the first case but not the last,” Mr Gutwein said.

“Some people will be concerned and I understand that.”

Of the 7121 people who arrived across the state on Wednesday, only five were unauthorised.

“We’ve had five unauthorised travellers that have arrived in the state, two have been subject to an immediate turnaround and we have three international travellers placed into hotel quarantine,” State Cmdr Donna Adams said.

“One of those travellers, a 24 year old Victorian woman, was arrested for failing to provide her name and address and refusing to co-operate with police at Launceston airport that particular woman was bailed to appear in the Launceston Court of Petty Sessions on the send of February.”

Another woman hadn’t completed the application and chose to leave.

The remaining three were international passengers placed in hotel quarantine

29 additional areas in New South Wales LGAs were declared high risk, meaning the greater Sydney area is entirely high risk.

In Victoria there are three new areas declared high risk, meaning greater Melbourne is also high risk.

Travellers who have already arrived in Tasmania from the high risk areas are asked to monitor symptoms and get tested if they present.

Those who arrive before Sunday who have already been approved are also asked to monitor symptoms.

Anyone who arrives after the 19th or submits a new application entering from a high risk area will be required to return a negative test 72 hours before departure.

Any passenger with an already approved pass to enter from Sunday the 19th and anyone who submits a new application to enter, will be required to return a negative test 72 hours before departure.

Rewatch The Announcment

Originally published as Mask mandate in indoor areas could come into effect as soon as next week