REVEALED: What will happen when Delta hits Tasmania’s shores

Any cases of the virus in Tasmania would prompt a swift response from the government, as authorities reveal what it would mean for residents if the Delta Covid strain hit our shores. LATEST >>

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SHORT, sharp lockdowns will be the government's most likely weapon against any incursion of the Delta strain of coronavirus into Tasmania, Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said.

New South Wales and southeast Queensland are in the grip of outbreaks caused by the highly contagious variant.

Despite an extensive lockdown, NSW on Wednesday recorded 233 new cases and 2 deaths.

Mr Rockliff said any cases of the virus in Tasmania would prompt a swift response.

“We’ll be guided by public health advice but I would say it would be highly likely that those short, sharp lock downs are the way to go and jump on this as quickly as possible, so we can return to so-called normality as quickly as possible, but also saving lives as well,” he said.

“The Delta strain, as the premier has said, is extremely, extremely serious, a lot more infectious than previous strains.

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Jeremy Rockliff speaks to the media in Hobart on Tuesday August 3, 2021.

“We must ensure that we maintain our vigilance. Get the jab. Do everything that we’re supported to and have been educated to do over the course of the last 18 months.”

Health authorities have encouraged all Tasmanians to prepare a Covid safety kit with masks, hand sanitiser, tissues and the Check-In Tas app.

Mr Rockliff said there was no substitute for being prepared.

“Every individual, every household needs to ensure that they are ready, that they are prepared. “We must continue our hand hygiene, social distancing, physical distancing and all the measures that we’ve become accustomed to over the course of the last 18 months.”

Minister for State Development, construction and Housing Michael Ferguson is among those caught up by the current stay at home order after returning from a visit to southeast Queensland, Mr Rockliff said.

“Mr Ferguson is well and Mr Ferguson has had a Covid test and is negative and he will be returning to normal duties soon.”

The Health minister said it was impossible to predict when the next case might occur — but the state’s health system was prepared.

“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be and that is absolutely ready,” he told reporters.

“We recognise that it could be any day that the Delta strain could arrive in Tasmania.

“The premier has said that consistently. We’ve been very fortunate, we’ve been very diligent, as well, which has assisted us in remaining Covid-free for such a long time. We have escalation levels for the Covid environment and we have a separate escalation levels for the normal hospital environment.

“It’s hard to really pin it down in terms of number of days, but our health system, our staff, our emergency response teams both in the individual hospitals and broadly statewide are ready, if it arrives in an hour or a week or a month.

“We have to be ready for whenever it arrives.”

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Originally published as REVEALED: What will happen when Delta hits Tasmania’s shores