Sixth Covid-19 patient this year reported to have died in Tasmania

A sixth person with Covid-19 has died in Tasmania this year, bringing the state total since the pandemic began to 19. STATISTICS >>

A sixth person with Covid-19 has died in Tasmania this year, bringing the state total since the pandemic began to 19.

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff confirmed the 68-year-old man, from the south of the state, had been in palliative care for several weeks before he died with Covid.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of the gentleman” he said.

The Department of Health Tasmania Facebook page reported the death on Thursday morning while sharing coronavirus statistics from the previous day.

It comes as two coronavirus patients are in intensive care and 13 others are hospitalised, seven of which are being treated for Covid symptoms.

The latest death comes as 3,782 cases remain active, 656 of which were newly recorded on Wednesday via PCR and rapid antigen tests.

For the latest updates visit coronavirus.tas.gov.au

‘Not ready’: Schools uneasy as they await delivery of Covid kits

The state government has promised all Tasmanian schools will receive have received their back to school kits, which include rapid antigen tests, before the start of term one, but some have been left waiting for supplies.

Each pack contains two rapid antigen tests, surgical face masks and health and wellbeing information for families.

Premier Peter Gutwein said many had already received kits.

“North West schools will have received all of their packs by the end of today, schools in the north will have received all of their packs by the end of tomorrow, and while some schools in the south have received their kits already, the kits in the south will be delivered by the end of the week,” Mr Gutwein said

But some schools hoping to distribute kits with other school supplies have been unable to do so.

Premier Peter Gutwein during the Covid update at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

On its Facebook page, Cosgrove High School advised parents it was yet to receive RAT kits.

“RAT tests are not ready for distribution yet,” the school posted on Tuesday.

“By next Tuesday at the latest RAT tests and masks will be available for collection.

“As soon as we receive them, we’ll make them available to you.”

Burnie High School was also waiting for tests.

“The packs of Rapid Antigen Tests that are being provided by the Department of Education have not yet arrived and we will endeavour to get these to you as soon as possible,” the school said in its Facebook page on Monday.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said the government needed to clarify when the kits would be received.

“Just last week, the premier promised parents they could pick up rapid antigen tests with their school books for their children,” Mr Willie said.

“It’s incumbent on the government to be upfront on the supply levels and whether all schools will receive RATs before schools starts.”

Labor member Josh Willie. Labor leader Rebecca White at Cambridge Road Play and Learn Centre in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Australian Education Union president David Genford said it was concerning.

“We’ve been told the RATs should be supplied by the end of this week, however we have concerns that’s leaving it late,” Mr Genford said.

Mr Genford said all school ventilation upgrades need to be complete by the time students returned.

“They are 55 per cent window fixed,” Mr Genford said.

“We don’t know how many air purifiers have arrived.”

Mr Gutwein said most windows would be addressed before school returned.

“We’re working on the priority windows at the moment,” Mr Gutwein said.

Tassie hospitals de-escalate as Covid pressure eases

TASMANIA’S public hospital system is in de-escalation mode as the number of Covid-19 infected people being hospitalised and needing emergency care fails to meet early, and more dire predictions.

All of the State’s four major public hospitals were downgraded to Covid-19 escalation level two at 8am meaning surgical procedures will return and visitors are again allowed in.

“The impact on hospitals is less than we were prepared for – only two people in ICU rather than the 1000 feared at this point – and we can flex down,” Premier Peter Gutwein said.

Sixty Tasmanian Health Service staff are in isolation either because they have Covid-19 or are a close contact across a public sector workforce of 30,000.

Tasmania recorded 666 new cases of Covid-19 overnight taking the total number of active cases to 3876.

Almost 10 times as many have recovered from their infection and been released from isolation.

Eight of the 13 people in hospital with Covid-19 are being treated specifically for virus symptoms and two are in ICU.

Mr Gutwein said he expected positive case numbers to rise as students return to school next week.

Two hundred thousands rapid antigen tests are being delivered to public schools this week along with 84,000 to private schools and it is expected some students and teachers will become infected with the virus.

Originally published as Sixth Covid-19 patient this year reported to have died in Tasmania