Tasmania’s borders shut over new case

Authorities are scrambling after Tasmania’s first coronavirus case for nine months, after an alleged law-breaking New South Welshman brought the virus to Launceston.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says allowing Sunday’s Collingwood v Hawthorn AFL game to go ahead in Launceston ‘would not be the responsible thing to do’. Picture: David Killick

Tasmanian authorities are scrambling to track and trace the state’s first coronavirus case for eight months, after an alleged law-breaking NSW man introduced the virus to Launceston.

The 31-year-old man travelled from Sydney to Launceston via Melbourne on Monday without a valid travel pass to enter Tasmania, where on arrival he was escorted into hotel quarantine.

He left the Peppers Hotel on Wednesday, taking a taxi to Launceston Airport and flying home to Sydney, later receiving a positive result from a Covid-19 test taken while in Tasmania.

As a result, Tasmanian authorities on Thursday cancelled Sunday’s Collingwood-Hawthorn AFL game, due to be held in Launceston.

“It would not be the responsible thing to … allow that (game) to go ahead at this stage, knowing that we’ll have a surge in testing and many of those results won’t be in by Sunday,” Premier Peter Gutwein said.

Mr Gutwein also closed his state’s border to quarantine-free arrivals from Victoria and announced visits to hospitals and aged-care homes would be limited to two visitors at any time, with mandatory mask-wearing.

Any non-Tasmanian resident arriving from NSW, Victoria or Queensland without a valid travel pass would be “turned around and placed on the next available flight” home.

Passengers on the man’s flights were being notified, while the taxi driver was in isolation. About 200 people are expected to be required to self-isolate.

Mr Gutwein said it was “more than likely” the man – believed to have the Delta variant – breached NSW law in defying public health orders on leaving Sydney.