Tassie island fortress call to halt coronavirus at Bass Strait

Tasmania is under pressure to capitalise on the state’s advantage as an island, with calls for all arrivals to self-isolate.

The coronavirus clinic in Hobart.

Tasmania’s Liberal government is under rising pressure to make better use of the state’s natural advantage as an island to control coronavirus, with growing calls for all arrivals to self-isolate.

Premier Peter Gutwein has announced a public health emergency and a $420m economic stimulus plan, including payments of up to $1000 for families having to self-isolate.

He has also introduced a new arrivals card, requiring those with recent overseas travel to provide their contact details and movements.

However, its effectiveness has been derided and some Tasmanians do not believe these restrictions go far enough.

There are calls for more urgent action to keep the state’s coronavirus outbreak — only 10 confirmed cases as of Wednesday — under control, before community transmission occurs.

A group of health, business and community leaders is publicly demanding a 14-day self-isolation period for all arrivals; not just those who have recently travelled overseas.

“If it makes sense for Australia to quarantine all international travellers, surely it also makes sense for us to quarantine all domestic travellers, given the spread of the virus on mainland Australia,” the group said in an open letter published on Wednesday.

Privately, some go further, advocating a complete closure of the border for all but freight, or at least bans on flights from the worst-impacted mainland states — notably NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

Labor opposition leader Rebecca White on Wednesday pleaded for Mr Gutwein to ensure all arrivals self-isolate for 14 days.

“As an island, we have an opportunity to do what no other state can do — we have a rapidly closing window of opportunity to dramatically slow the spread of this virus by mandating everyone coming into Tasmania to quarantine for 14 days,” Ms White said.

 “Just a day after the introduction of the Tasmanian arrival card, it’s already apparent that there are serious holes in the system, with reports that some people haven’t been given arrival cards and there’s a lack of enforcement at airports.

 “The spread of COVID-19 has entered an exponential growth phase in mainland states. The number of cases in NSW has doubled in the last two days. There is just as much risk of the virus spreading across state borders as there is from overseas.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein gives his daily coronavirus update. Picture: Richard Jupe

Mr Gutwein has ruled out 14-day isolation for all arrivals, at least for the present, but said he was constantly taking advice on appropriate responses to the crisis. “At this point, I have no advice that I should take that step,” he said.

He warned that closing the state’s borders would threaten supplies and trade. “We will not be closing our borders — the clothes we wear today, the food that we ate this morning for breakfast, in many cases the medical supplies we require in our hospitals, these things come across our borders,” he said.

However, those backing tougher action said exemptions would apply for freight and supplies.

Hobart Catholic Archbishop Julian Porteous on Wednesday suspended all public Masses in the archdiocese, due to the pandemic.