Covid-19 Tasmania: Warning not to go to ‘every booze up’

Tassie’s Covid-19 cases are growing faster than ever, prompting a plea from the state’s premier not to go to a ‘booze up’ if you're unwell.

Tasmania recorded 35 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking total active cases to 194.

Finishers from the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race are expected to begin arriving in the state’s capital from Tuesday.

Premier Peter Gutwein said the state’s health systems were functioning as planned and just one person had been hospitalised.

Most of those with the disease were experiencing mild symptoms, typical of the Omicron strain, and were recovering at home, he said.

“However, we all need to be vigilant and all Tasmanians, especially our older ones, make sure you wear a mask … make you’re booking to get your booster,” Mr Gutwein said.

Premier Peter Gutwein told Tasmanians not to go to ‘every function and booze up’ if they were feeling unwell.

The state conducted 1382 tests on Boxing Day and 1343 on Monday, with close to 98 per cent of Tasmanians over 16 having had a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

“It is very tempting at this time of year to turn up to every function and booze up that’s going on,” Mr Gutwein said.

“If you’re unwell, stay home, isolate and go and get a test.”

The state requires all arriving travellers to have undergone a PCR test within 72 hours of their departure.

Mr Gutwein said the state was considering introducing rapid antigen tests as a safeguard in place of the PCR requirement, in part to take pressure off other jurisdictions’ testing facilities.

“We’ll have more to say on this I expect later in the week about what the requirement will be in terms of our borders,” Mr Gutwein said.

Originally published as Covid-19 Tasmania: Warning not to go to ‘every booze up’