Chinese students to be kept in ‘preventive isolation’ on return to Tasmania

It has been announced a number of Chinese students are expected to return to the state under an exemption to the coronavirus travel ban as Tasmanians continue to clear supermarket shelves.

Chinese students returning to Tasmanian schools for year 11 and 12 will be kept in preventive isolation upon their return to the state.

As part of an exemption to the coronavirus travel ban, a number of Chinese students are expected to return to the state later this month to continue their studies.

A Department of Education spokesperson said when the students returned to the state, their accommodation needed to meet the requirements of the state’s Director of Public Health alongside the department’s obligations to student welfare.

“The accommodation will be preventive isolation, rather than quarantine. Students will not be able to enter Australia if they have any signs of illness,” they said.

“Possibilities for accommodation places are currently being investigated by Government Education and Training.

“The date and number of returning students is therefore only approximate, subject to suitable accommodation being found and an exemption being granted.”

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Meanwhile, the state’s supermarkets have been impacted by shortages in key goods such as long-life pantry and healthcare items, such as hand sanitisers, antibacterial hand washes, and toilet paper.

Toilet paper has sold out at Sandy Bay Woolworths.

Coles and Woolworths confirmed while there was a sharp increase in demand for some items they were working to get supplies back into stores, with both supermarket chains working closely with suppliers to ramp up deliveries and production to maintain stock availability.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said there was no need to panic over low stock levels and urged consumers to go about their business as usual.

“We’re comfortable there’s no risk to the availability of food or household essentials; with major retailers maintaining high inventories, if a brand you wish to purchase isn’t available today, it’ll probably be back on the shelf tomorrow,” he said.

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“There is plenty of stock in distribution centres to supply retailers of essential items across the country.

“If this continues for some months we might see impacts around the availability of electrical goods, or new season fashion lines later in the year, but I simply stress that for now there’s no need for panic – so don’t.”