WATCH LIVE: Premier updates Tassie as NSW outbreak reaches 83 cases

Premier Peter Gutwein has backed the cancellation of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, with concerns about a ‘devastating’ second wave of COVID-19 in Tasmania. LIVE UPDATES >>

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COVID-19 testing sites will continue to operate throughout the Christmas-New Year period, as Tasmanians are urged to holiday at home and remain vigilant during the festive season.

Speaking in Launceston today (Monday, Dec 21), Premier Peter Gutwein and Health Minister Sarah Courtney said testing rates had increased in Tasmania since new COVID-19 clusters emerged in NSW in recent days.

“We’ve conducted 833 tests in the past 24 hours,” Ms Courtney said.

Mr Gutwein said daily testing rates in Tasmania had dropped to between 200-300 per day as COVID-19 cases declined, a drop that was reflected nationwide, but testing rates had increased in the past week or so.

Premier Peter Gutwein gives a COVID-19 update in Launceston.

With a total of 83 COVID-19 cases now reported in NSW, following 15 new cases in the Avalon cluster, Mr Gutwein defended increasing restrictions for travellers from Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the Greater Sydney area.

“It is our expectation that the number of cases in NSW will winch up over coming days,” he said.

“Currently there are around 50 travellers in Tasmania from affected areas in hotel quarantine, and a further 173 adults are also being quarantined in approved home isolation.

The Premier also defended the decision by Sydney-Hobart yacht race organisers to cancel this year’s event, in light of the state’s NSW travel restrictions, and acknowledged it would be a difficult Christmas for local businesses and those with family in NSW.

“I fully agree with the organisers’ decision to cancel the race, I believe it is the right one based on public health advice in terms of keeping competitors and the community here in Tasmania safe.

“It is not lost on me, nor should it be on any Tasmanian, the reason why: a second wave here would have devastating health and economic consequences for Tasmania.”

Mr Gutwein said the good news regarding the new cases in NSW was that there were no new cases of unknown community transmission, was a good sign that contact tracing was working effectively.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney and Premier Peter Gutwein giving a COVID-19 update in Launceston.

Ms Courtney stressed the importance of contact tracing in all public venues across Tasmania throughout the period, including businesses, places of worship, tourist attractions, hospitality, entertainment venues, zoos and salons.

Owners and operators can either use the Tasmanian Government’s Check In Tas app or keep paper records and retain them for 28 days.

With the opening of Hobart’s new COVID-19 testing site at the corner of Melville St and Argyle St, Ms Courtney said the PW1 site would remain open pending a review tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, and testing sites in Launceston, Burnie and Devonport would also remain open every day during the holiday period.

A flight carrying 162 seasonal workers from Tonga is due to arrive in the state late tonight, at a time when no other passengers will be present in the terminal, and Mr Gutwein said all passengers had been tested and returned negative tests before leaving Tonga, which has not recorded any active cases so far.

Another repatriation flight carrying Tasmanians returning from India will also arrive on January 8.

Mr Gutwein also took the opportunity to thank Tasmanians for their co-operation during what has been a very difficult year.

“Thank you for the work you’ve been doing, we are in a safe space at the moment but it is important we remain vigilant,” he said.

“I have never been prouder to be Tasmanian in terms of the way Tasmanians have gone about supporting each other, and demonstrated common humanity here in the state like I’ve never seen before.”

EARLIER:

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has said there is a silver lining in New South Wales’ 15 new COVID-19 cases announced today – they are all traceable.

Mr Gutwein also defended the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’s organisers’ decision to cancel the race.

This comes as the Northern Beaches outbreak reaches 83 cases. Tasmania has declared greater Sydney a medium-risk jurisdiction, while the Northern Beaches remains a ‘hot spot’.

REWATCH THE UPDATE >>

Tasmanians returning from that area must quarantine upon arrival home.

“In Tasmania at the moment there are around 50 travellers from affected areas in hotel quarantine. There are a further 173 adults that have been quarantined in approved home settings,” Premier Peter Gutwein said.

“I fully concur and agree with the organisers decision to cancel the (Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race) ... however it’s not lost on me ... a second wave here in the state would have had devastating health and economic consequences.”

EARLIER: NEW South Wales has recorded 15 new locally-acquired coronavirus cases, all linked to the Avalon cluster. Today’s new cases bring the state’s total cases to 83.

Premier Peter Gutwein is expected to announce stricter measures for travellers from NSW – not just the greater Sydney area – after the worsening outbreak wrought havoc with Christmas plans for returning Tasmanians and travellers, with many ending up in 14 days quarantine.

Among those caught up in the impacts of the COVID-19 cluster were six people who had been left in limbo on a yacht off Lady Barron Island on Tasmania’s north-east tip, after stopping there on Saturday due to bad weather.

This comes after the Greater Sydney region was announced as a medium-risk jurisdiction by the state’s Public Health Director on Saturday, causing major headaches for returning Tasmanians just days before Christmas.

More to come...

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Originally published as WATCH LIVE: Premier updates Tassie as NSW outbreak reaches 83 cases