Has Tasmania closed its borders to Victoria and other Covid questions answered as clusters escalate on mainland
11 premises in South Australia are now high-risk areas to Tasmanians after recent Covid-19 contact tracing in the wake of three confirmed cases in that state. Everything you need to know about border restrictions in Tasmania >>
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TASMANIA has locked out the entire state of Victoria as the state’s nearest neighbour braces for yet another Covid-induced lockdown.
As Victoria was plunged into a five-day lockdown, Tasmanian health authorities in a late Thursday afternoon announcement slammed the border shut.
But in a reprieve for travellers into Tasmania from Melbourne throughout Thursday, they avoided the need to quarantine, with the border rule coming into force from midnight.
There were six flights from Melbourne scheduled to land at Hobart Airport after the Tasmanian announcement, with travellers urged to monitor for cold and flu-like symptoms.
Luke Martin the CEO of Tourism Industry Council Tasmania said that although the Tasmania tourism industry’s number one priority is keeping locals safe, operators are losing patience with “Australia’s approach to Covid”.
“The Tasmanian tourism industry will respond to this latest disruption with the same resilience and pragmatism we have shown with all the other border restrictions over the past 18-months.” he said.
“When London are holding tennis tournaments, Italy is re-opening to tourists, and New York are planning this year’s marathon, we really need to ask how on earth Australia has got itself into a situation where our two largest cities are once again in lock-down, and locked-out from the rest of the country.”
Public Health acting director Scott McKeown said the action was decided upon following discussions over the phone with Premier Peter Gutwein and Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
Dr McKeown said the border situation with Victoria would be reviewed daily.
“This decision has been made with the intention and the responsibility of ensuring protection of Tasmania of the risk that’s posed by Covid,’’ he said.
“Particularly of the Delta strain which is causing so many challenges to states and cities around Australia.”
The risk in Victoria is being defined as commencing from July 8, with anyone who has been in Victoria since that date and not currently in Tasmania, required to get permission to enter.
This includes Tasmanian residents returning home.
Travellers who were in Victoria on or before July 7 and were now elsewhere and wished to enter Tasmania, were permitted to do so.
Dr McKeown was asked about the decision not to impose quarantine for arrivals into Tasmania from Victoria on Thursday.
“The risk we’re protecting against is about a person who might become infected going forward,’’ he said.
“Anyone that’s arrived before midnight [Thursday] will be permitted to enter, but they are advised very strongly to monitor for symptoms and to seek testing if any symptoms should develop.”
Tasmanian Public Health authorities on Wednesday declared a members’ area of the MCG a high-risk premises following an AFL game that was attended by a person with COVID-19.
Anyone who was in level two of the of the Melbourne Cricket Club members’ area at the MCG during the Carlton – Geelong game between 4pm and 8pm on Saturday 10 July must self-isolate immediately, and contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange a COVID-19 test.
Anyone in Tasmania who attended the game, but was not in the members’ area, should monitor themselves for cold or flu-like symptoms. If you develop any symptoms, no matter how mild, you must self-isolate and call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange a COVID-19 test.
Authorities said the same border restrictions with NSW — which currently has many more cases than Victoria — would continue because the NSW outbreak was mostly contained to the metropolitan area.
As it stands, people from regional NSW are allowed to travel to Tasmania without the need to quarantine on arrival.
A number of other premises in Victoria have been declared high-risk. Anyone in Tasmania who has been in Victoria on or since 8 July should continue to check the list of premises on the Travel Alert page daily.
Here’s the state of play in Tasmania as of 3pm Thursday, July 15, 2021:
Victoria
A number of premises in Victoria have been declared high-risk (Level 1) as they were visited by people with COVID-19.
Travellers who have spent time at a high-risk (Level 1) location at the specified dates and times listed below will not be permitted to travel to Tasmania.
Travellers currently in Tasmania who have been in Victoria on or since 8 July are asked to check the list of high-risk premises regularly.
Anyone who has spent time at any of the sites at the specified dates and times must self-isolate immediately and call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 for further advice.
New South Wales
Local Government Areas declared high-risk (level 2) from 4pm 23 June 2021:
- Waverley
- Woollahra
- Randwick
- Bayside
- Canada Bay
- Inner West
- Sydney
Local Government Areas declared high-risk (level 2) from 4pm 26 June 2021:
- The Hills Shire
- Blacktown
- Blue Mountains
- Burwood
- Camden
- Campbelltown
- Sutherland Shire
- Canterbury-Bankstown
- Central Coast
- Cumberland
- Georges River
- Hornsby Shire
- Hunter’s Hill
- Willoughby
- Ku-ring-gai
- Lane Cove
- Liverpool
- Mosman
- North Sydney
- Northern Beaches
- Parramatta
- Penrith
- Wollongong
- Ryde
- Strathfield
Local Government Area declared high-risk (level 2) from 12:01am 12 July 2021:
- Shellharbour
Local Government Area declared high-risk (level 1) from 12:01am 14 July 2021
Fairfield
Anyone who has spent time in a high-risk (Level 1) LGA during the period specified above — including returning Tasmanians — will not be permitted to enter Tasmania.
Anyone who has spent time in a high-risk (Level 2) LGA during the period specified in the above tables — including returning Tasmanians — will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved as an Essential Traveller.
Tasmanian residents can apply for Essential Traveller status. If approved, quarantine is required and can be undertaken in a suitable premises if available, otherwise in a government-designated accommodation at their own cost.
Travellers can apply for Essential Traveller status via the G2G PASS system. If you are approved and sent a G2G PASS, you should regularly check this page as the situation is evolving.
Essential Traveller status will not be granted to anyone who has spent time in a high-risk (Level 1) premises at the specified dates and times. This includes Tasmanian residents.
Travellers who arrived in Tasmania:
- before 12 July and had recently spent time in the Shellharbour LGA
- before 14 July and had recently spent time in the Fairfield LGA
Should monitor their health and if they develop even mild cold or flu-like symptoms, call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to book a test.
Travellers currently in Tasmania who have been in NSW on or since 26 June are asked to check the below list of high-risk premises regularly.
Queensland
A number of premises in QLD have been declared high-risk (Level 1) as they were visited by people with COVID-19.
Travellers who have spent time at a high-risk (Level 1) location at the specified dates and times listed in full here will not be permitted to travel to Tasmania.
As the situation is evolving, travellers should check this webpage regularly, monitor their health and call the Public Health Hotline to book a test if they have even mild symptoms.
If you have not visited the premises listed but develop any symptoms of COVID-19 please contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to book a test.
Advice for people in Tasmania
Travellers currently in Tasmania who have been in QLD on or since 25 June are asked to check the below list of high-risk premises regularly. Anyone who has spent time in any of the sites at the specified dates and times must self-isolate immediately and call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 for further advice.
South Australia
ELEVEN premises in South Australia are now high-risk areas to Tasmanians after recent Covid-19 contact tracing in the wake of three confirmed cases in that state.
Two of the cases are a man and his daughter who travelled to South Australia after quarantining in Sydney following overseas travel and a third as a result of community transmission.
The high-risk premises are mostly in north-eastern suburban Adelaide.
Director of Public Health Mark Veitch (inset) said anyone who has been in South Australia since July 13, and is now in Tasmania, should check the government’s coronavirus travel alerts online.
“If you are in Tasmania and have been at any of the listed high-risk premises at the specified dates and times, you must self-isolate immediately and contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 after 9am (Tuesday) for advice,” he said.
“Anyone who is planning to travel to Tasmania who has been to any of these high-risk premises at the specified dates and times will not be permitted to enter the state.”
Public Health authorities will continually review the situation in SA.
South Australia remains low-risk apart from the high-risk (Level 1) premises listed below:
- 17-07-2021 | Golden Grove: The Grove Newsagency, Golden Grove Shopping Centre 3:30 pm to 3:45 pm
- 17-07-2021 | Golden Grove: OPSM Golden Grove Village Shopping Centre 3:00 pm to 4:45 pm
- 17-07-2021 | Golden Grove: Golden Grove Shopping Centre 3:00 pm to 4:45 pm
- 16-07-2021 | Hindmarsh: Gaganis Bros 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
- 14-07-2021 | Modbury: Commonwealth Bank10:30 am to 12:15 pm
- 13-07-2021 | St Agnes: Aldi, St Agnes Shopping Centre1 0:20 am to 11:30 am
- 13-07-2021 | St Agnes: St Agnes Shopping Centre 10:20 am to 11:30 am
- 13-07-2021 | Modbury: Commonwealth Bank 10:00 am to 11:15 am
- 09-07-2021 | Tailem Bend: OTR Motorsport Park service station, Dukes Highway 7:20am to 8:15am Level 1
- 09-07-2021 | Tailem Bend: Coolabah Tree Cafe 5:20pm to 7:00pm Level 1
- 09-07-2021 | Tailem Bend: Shell Tailem Bend 5:20pm to 7:00pm Level 1
Australian Capital Territory
Status: Low risk
Northern Territory
Status: Low risk
Western Australia
Status: Low risk
New Zealand
Status: Low risk
Originally published as Has Tasmania closed its borders to Victoria and other Covid questions answered as clusters escalate on mainland
Stand by your man: Premier backs embattled Minister
Despite a looming no confidence motion over the handling of T-T Line and TasPorts, Michael Ferguson still has the support of the Premier, who backed him in this morning. Here’s what was said.
Loggers’ year-long discrimination case dismissed
A 16-month long discrimination case filed by logging supporters against the Bob Brown Foundation has been dismissed. What the anti-discrimination commissioner had to say.