COVID-19: Death of tourism ‘small price to pay for greater good’

Tasmania’s extraordinary nation-first move to force all arrivals into 14 day self-isolation has won almost universal backing.

Tasmanian tourism luminary Rob Pennicott.

Tasmania’s extraordinary nation-first move to force all arrivals into 14 day self-isolation has won almost universal backing but has “killed” the state’s tourism industry overnight, amid business shutdowns.

In a dramatic attempt to prevent coronavirus community transition in the island state, all arrivals from midnight Friday will have to self-isolate for 14 days, including mainland visitors and Tasmanians returning from interstate.

Peak business groups, health industry figures and the Labor and Green opposition parties all firmly backed the decision, but the “significant economic impact” forecast by Premier Peter Gutwein was immediate.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Chris Kidd

Leading tourism entrepreneur Rob Pennicott, whose award-winning boat trip company employs 115, told The Australian he was shutting the business for a least two weeks, likely longer.

“We will be closing down very shortly, first for a fortnight to look at the situation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a longer-term shutdown,” he said.

He had taken out a $1 million loan to try to support his casual and permanent workers as much and for as long as possible during the shutdown.

However, he called on the federal government to provide workers such as his access to a Newstart-level payment immediately, to avoid employers having to lay staff off so that they could gain a welfare income.

He said such a scheme should be topped-up by employers, who would benefit from still having the “skills and expertise” needed to kickstart their businesses when the crisis eased.

Despite the devastating impact, he firmly backed the 14-day isolation requirement. “It kills tourism in the state but it’s not really the decision that is killing tourism – it is the virus,” he said. “As a larger tourism operator I think it’s a small price to pay for the better good.

“It’s a brave and courageous decision and I totally back and applaud it, even though it will be painful for all tourism business.

“It will minimise the possible effects from coronavirus and give us a chance to control it and for the economy to survive. I’m glad it’s happened now and not in a month’s time.”

The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it “unreservedly supports this bold decision” by the government. “They are ahead of the curve,” said chamber chief executive Michael Bailey.

“Leveraging Tasmania’s island advantages and doing everything we can to stop further cases of COVID-19 from entering the state is vital.. This move will reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the state and speed up the return to normal.”

Mr Gutwein, who had in recent days been under intense pressure to adopt the 14 day self-isolation rule for all arrivals, said it was a difficult but logical decision.

Anyone ignoring the isolation will be fined up to $16,800. “This is a tough, but necessary decision to flatten the curve, putting Tasmanians’ health and wellbeing first,” said Mr Gutwein, who also declared a state of emergency.

“The quarantine period will not apply to essential travellers – such as health care workers, emergency workers, defence personnel, air and ship crew, specialists, and essential freight personnel – truck drivers or Spirit (of Tasmania ferries) freight - and there will be stringent guidelines to manage this.”

A government spokeswoman later told The Australian federal MPs would also be exempt, but not their staff.

Labor opposition leader Rebecca White, who had led the calls for the 14-day measure, “thanked” the government for adopting it, saying it would “save lives”.

The Tasmanian Small Business Council said the move, which effectively applies the same rules to mainlander visitors and Tasmanians returning from interstate as those applied to overseas travellers, meant “short-term pain for long-term gain”.

As of late Thursday, Tasmania had 10 confirmed COVID19 cases, all linked to overseas travel, and no confirmed community transmission.