Positive Covid traveller slapped with fine as thousands of Tasmanians line up for testing
Polive have fined a NSW man who returned a positive Covid test after entering Tasmania as the government confirms the man was infected with the Delta variant. LATEST COVID-19 NEWS >>
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THE man who tested positive to Covid-19 in hotel quarantine in Tasmania this week has been hit with a $1000 fine from NSW Police.
The 30-year-old, from Auburn in Sydney’s west, slipped out of lockdown on Monday and went to Sydney Airport, where he boarded a flight to Melbourne before getting on a connecting flight to Launceston.
“He was refused entry into Tasmania and was placed in hotel quarantine,” NSW Police said in a statement on Saturday.
“On Tuesday 3 August 2021 he underwent Covid-19 testing and boarded a flight back to Sydney the following day.
“(He) remains in self-isolation at his home. He has since returned a Covid-positive result.
“Following inquiries, on Friday 6 August 2021, the man was issued a $1000 (public infringement notice).”
Premier Peter Gutwein confirmed on Saturday that the man had contracted the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, however, no additional cases have been identified in Tasmania.
Positive Covid case confirmed as Delta variant
A MAN who tested positive to coronavirus in Tasmania has been confirmed as having the highly contagious Delta variant, but a testing blitz has so far identified no additional cases in the state.
On Friday, 1888 tests for Covid-19 were processed in Tasmania with all returning negative results for the virus.
A further 1669 swabs were taken on Friday with those results expected to be known throughout Saturday and into Sunday.
Meanwhile, a total of 189 contacts of the 31-year-old man from NSW have been identified, with most of them now in quarantine.
The traveller had slipped out of lockdown in Sydney and arrived in Launceston without a valid permit.
He was put into hotel quarantine and tested in Tasmania, going back to NSW before his positive result was confirmed, which then sparked a Public Health response.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the high testing rates and negative results to date was “very encouraging news”.
A total of 189 people have been identified as contacts of the infected man, with 139 assessed as requiring quarantine. All are being tested.
The remaining 50 people have been found to be as low risk and not requiring quarantine.
Mr Gutwein said Tasmania’s border controls had worked, and said Public Health authorities had worked quickly to identify contacts.
“Our processes at the border worked exactly as we would expect them to,’’ he said.
And the Premier had this message for those considering trying to circumvent the rules.
“If you don’t have authority to enter Tasmania, don’t come,’’ he said.
“If you were thinking of trying to sneak through, that you can arrive here after you’ve been rejected, we will throw the book at you.
“It’s as simple as that.”
Public Health deputy director Julie Graham said the worsening situation in other Australian states was a reminder of the dangers posed.
“The outbreaks in other states are a very clear reminder of how quickly the Delta virus can spread, and how we need to be very active in coming forward for testing,’’ she said.
“Testing is the only way we can find cases in the community.”
Dr Graham said the state’s thoughts were with NSW, which recorded 319 new cases and five deaths on Saturday.
She said Tasmanian officials had been assisting NSW counterparts with contact tracing, but this had been temporarily paused as Tasmania embarked on its own contact tracing effort.
Meanwhile Mr Gutwein said wastewater testing results in Tasmania had continued to come back negative.
But he said there would be a re-run of testing at the Newnham site in northern Tasmania due to a technical issue.
People “fleeing” NSW are clogging up hotel quarantine
People “fleeing” New South Wales for Tasmania are putting pressure on the state’s hotel quarantine system, Premier Peter Gutwein said.
Mr Gutwein said they were choosing to undertake hotel quarantine to leave the mainland state.
“We have people who are fleeing New South Wales that have leased properties here in Tasmania, so they have a valid Tasmanian address.”
“They have work to go to in many cases and they are actually fleeing and ... are quite happy to pay the quarantine fee, that’s what’s putting pressure on our hotel system,” he said.
It follows Mr Gutwein’s comments on Thursday: “The bottom line is, as a result of the escalating situation across the country, we’re getting very close to having no room at the inn.”
A Public Health spokesman said there was a total capacity of 486 rooms for both seasonal workers and domestic quarantine in the state.
Hotels currently being used are the Travelodge Hotel Hobart Airport, Ibis Styles Hotel and
Best Western Hotel in Hobart, Peppers Seaport Hotel in Launceston and Sunrise Hotel in Devonport.
Mr Gutwein said talks were underway on potentially expanding to other hotels.
“We began discussions last week with other hotel facilities to see if we could pick up some additional space,” he said on Friday.
A Public Health spokesman said there were currently 328 people in quarantine facilities in Tasmania, including 162 seasonal workers.
They said a further two flights each with 162 seasonal workers are due to arrive this month.
They will be undertake hotel quarantine in Tasmania before travelling on to Victoria.
There are currently 139 Tasmanian residents in hotel quarantine, with 61 in the South and 78 in the North.
A fire alarm on Friday briefly caused the evacuation of the Best Western Hotel where 162 seasonal workers are quarantining, before it was identified as a false alarm.
Mr Gutwein said there had been fire alarms before in hotels being used as quarantine facilities and people are appropriately managed at the time.
“My understanding is all measures are put in place in those kind of situations,” he said.
Mr Gutwein said 20 people who had travelled to Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania on Thursday night had chosen to return to Victoria and were in hotel quarantine until they returned on the Spirit of Tasmania on Friday night.
He said 630 people were currently undertaking at home quarantine.
New South Wales is currently declared a level 1 high risk and all travellers arriving from the state, including returning residents if approved, are required to quarantine in a government-managed quarantine facility.
More than 1600 Tasmanians tested in wake of Covid case
About 20 people who were exposed to a positive Covid case remain at large in the community, as contract tracers scramble to track down their whereabouts.
It comes after a 31-year-old man flew into Launceston without a proper G2G pass, coming into contact with about 200 people in the process.
Tasmanian Peter Gutwein said people had come “in droves” for Covid testing, and at time of writing 1643 tests have been conducted — all negative.
However he warned Tasmanians not to let their guard down and to follow all the proper safety measures handed down by the government.
“We need to remain vigilant as we work our way through this… we know this strain moves with people and across the country it is causing challenges,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Our safeguards only work if we use them together, please remember to use the Tas Check In app. When it’s your turn to be vaccinated, don’t hesitate, please vaccinate.”
Director of Public Health advised that a student at Scotch Oakburn who was on the same flight as the positive case has returned a negative test.
“When the test result of that primary close contact came back negative all the other people could be released because they weren’t at risk of the primary contact, however the primary contact has to remain in quarantine until their 14 days is up,”
Premier Peter Gutwein also announced a number of pharamacies across Tasmania will be joining the vaccination rollout.
“I’m pleased that we’ll see pharmacies joining the Tasmanian rollout and I’m advised up to 26 will come on board very shortly.
“The first group of 11 are planned to join the rollout on August 16th with an additional 15 later in the month.”
“Don’t wait — vaccinate”
Tassie school boarders and hotel cleaner in isolation
Scotch Oakburn boarders are self isolating after a student was on the same flight as a NSW man who tested positive to Covid-19 on Wednesday.
Around 70 students have been affected.
“We’ve received advice from the health department regarding that our boarding students would go into isolation until the post contact receives a negative Covid result,” said Scotch Oakburn’s Director of Marketing Joel Brewer.
“The school is still operating and the students here, some are opting to wear masks but i’s not mandatory,”
A number of staff at Peppers Hotel are also self-isolating after a 31-year-old man who tested positive stayed at the accommodation for two nights.
“The cleaner of the room is isolating and everybody has been injected with one of the vaccines that’s part of the protocol and now I guess we wait and hope it’s not in the community,” owner Errol Stewart told the ABC on Friday morning.
“There are three security guards inside the hotel to block exits inside and out.”
It’s believed 10 workers at the Launceston Airport are also in isolation.
Premier had no choice but to cancel AFL blockbuster
TASMANIA’S first Covid-19 case in a year and cancellation of the blockbuster Hawthorn and Collingwood clash in Launceston on Sunday will not harm the state’s chances as AFL commission considers Carter review.
On the day the most important report in the history of Tasmanian football was tabled and discussed by the AFL commission, Premier Peter Gutwein cancelled the mega-game between the Hawks and Magpies and slammed the border closed.
Mr Gutwein was quick to dismiss suggestions his decision would leave a bad taste in the mouth of the AFL as it considers whether or not to grant Tasmania its own AFL licence.
“Absolutely not. Last weekend the AFL cancelled five games on the mainland and had to provide a change of venue and new time-frames,” Mr Gutwein said.
“This is just the way we are living at the moment unfortunately. I was very much looking forward to seeing Collingwood in Tasmania, as I’m sure many people were.
“It simply would not be the responsible thing to do to allow that game to go ahead, noting we will have a surge in testing and many of those results won’t be in by Sunday.”
Powerhouse Collingwood said many fans would be left disappointed.
“We understand it is a disappointing outcome for football fans in Tasmania, especially Collingwood members and fans, who too rarely get to see their team in Tasmania,” said Collingwood CEO, Mark Anderson.
“Nonetheless, we trust that everyone understands the health priorities in the decision, which was informed by advice from governments and public health officials.”
Tasmania would not be disadvantaged financially by match cancellation.
“We had no AFL played in the state last year, so the state saved several million dollars as a result,” Mr Gutwein said.
“This year we’ve had additional games and that has cost us around the same as a game would have cost us last year so it’s about a break even situation.”
‘No pass, go home': Premier’s message as he slams borders
TASMANIA will shut its border to Victoria in response to the mainland state’s latest lockdown.
Victoria will be declared high-risk level 2, from 8pm tonight for seven days.
Travellers will not be allowed to enter Tasmania unless approved as an essential traveller, and returning Tasmanians will have to quarantine.
Premier Peter Gutwein said for anyone in Tasmania who had been in Victoria in the past 14 days, they should continue to check the list of high-risk premises at the coronavirus Tasmania website.
If they have, they will need to isolate.
It was announced earlier today a New South Wales traveller who attempted to enter Tasmania in defiance of public health orders in both states has been confirmed as the first case of the virus detected locally in 238 days.
Amid fears the 31-year-old man may have been carrying the highly transmissible Delta variant, public health officials are scrambling to identify close contacts and have cancelled the weekend’s Collingwood and Hawthorn AFL blockbuster.
Mr Gutwein said hotel quarantine was approaching capacity in Tasmania.
“The bottom line is, as a result of the escalating situation across the country, we’re getting very close to having no room at the inn,’’ he said.
“If you arrive without a pass, you will be asked to get back on the first available flight and return home.”
The Premier said border restrictions with NSW remained, with the few essential travellers from that state required to go into hotel quarantine at their own cost.
Public Health director Dr Mark Veitch said contact tracing teams had done an excellent job of identifying people who were part of the corridor travelled by a traveller from NSW who tested positive to Covid-19 in Tasmania.
Airport staff and those who transported the person to hotel quarantine, hotel staff and a taxi driver had been contacted.
Dr Veitch said the contact tracing process would continue into the evening, with about 200 people identified, including 100 people on a flight from Melbourne to Launceston, which the traveller went on.
“If we do get any people that test positive, they have been identified and put into quarantine,’’ he said.
Masks will be required to be worn by staff and visitors in public and private hospitals, and aged care homes.
The number of the outbound flight on which the NSW traveller went is JQ746, from Launceston to Sydney, which left about 9.45am on Wednesday.
Tasmania Police Deputy Commissioner Donna Adams said the traveller applied for a G2G pass on morning on Monday, August 2.
She said he boarded a flight without an endorsed pass, and arrived in Launceston at 11.40am.
She said the traveller did not have a pass to enter Tasmania, and made a manual application at the border, before being taken into quarantine.
Commissioner Adams said the process showed the protections of Tasmania’s border arrangements were working.
She said the traveller had not breached Tasmanian law.
Health department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said Hobart and Launceston Covid testing clinics would be open until 9pm tonight.
She said there has been a surge in calls of people requesting tests.
The man who tested positive was unaware he was infected but had neither a G2G pass nor an exemption, and was ordered into hotel quarantine at the Peppers Hotel.
The man was tested on Tuesday, caught a taxi back to Launceston airport on Wednesday and left the state as allowed by current rules before his positive test result was confirmed on Thursday.
Tasmania closed its borders to travellers from New South Wales on July 17 and stay at home orders have been in place for most of the population of that state since late June.
“Today I can confirm that we have had a positive case this morning confirmed in Tasmania,” Mr Gutwein said at a press conference at 1.30pm on Thursday.
“I want to be clear: this is not a case of community transmission. This is a case that has been picked up in quarantine.
“Our contact tracers have immediately started tracking and tracing.
“At this stage, we don’t have confirmation that this is Delta — but on the basis that the man had travelled from New South Wales, there’s a high expectation that it will be.”
It will be 24 to 48 hours before the strain of the virus is known.
As reported this week, short, sharp lockdowns will be the government’s most likely weapon against any incursion of the Delta strain of coronavirus into Tasmania, Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said.
Mr Rockliff said any cases of the virus in Tasmania would prompt a swift response.
“We’ll be guided by public health advice but I would say it would be highly likely that those short, sharp lock downs are the way to go and jump on this as quickly as possible, so we can return to so-called normality as quickly as possible, but also saving lives as well,” he said.
“The Delta strain, as the premier has said, is extremely, extremely serious, a lot more infectious than previous strains.
Mr Gutwein said anyone aboard the Virgin flight would be contacted and must immediately self-isolate. The number of people potentially exposed to the man is not yet known.
There is no lockdown in the state yet but the weekend’s football match was cancelled because of the heightened risk and authorities were preparing for a surge in testing.
Further measures will be advised.
“More than ever right now, Tasmanians need to ensure that they follow the Covid-safe measures that we’ve had in place: cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands and sanitise them regularly, remember appropriate social distancing, use the Check-In Tas app at venues and importantly stay home if you’re unwell and if you feel unwell, get a test,” Mr Gutwein said.
Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said he had been advised of the man’s positive test just before 10am on Thursday.
“It turns out that this person has only just developed symptoms today so we think that they were probably becoming infectious when they arrived in Tasmania, and were probably slightly more infectious by the time they left Tasmania,” he said.
“We do know that this person is likely to be infected in Sydney probably last week on the weekend and the virus that’s circulating around Sydney is predominantly Delta.
“That’s why we’re taking the risk of infection very seriously. And we’ll be announcing a range of locations where this person has moved.”
“And we’re currently tracking down the taxi to get in touch with the driver and will be them to quarantine and be tested.
Dr Veitch said there was a range of measures in place which means the risk of exposure from arriving travellers was tightly managed.
“We think there’s probably minimal risk of exposure to people at the airport,” he said.
”However, we are putting out an alert to anyone who was at Launceston Airport yesterday, the 4th of August between 9am and 10am to please self-isolate and contact the public health hotline.
“As we speak, there’s a lot of activity occurring within the public health emergency operations in identifying all these people who may be at risk of being in the close to this gentleman while he may have been infectious.”
Mr Gutwein said the man would not be facing enforcement action from Tasmania Police or health authorities — but was at risk of being charged with breaching New South Wales stay-at-home orders.
Tasmania has experienced 234 cases of Covid-19, all but four of them in 2020. Thirteen people died.
There were 172 people in government-designated quarantine as of August 1.
Tasmania’s last officially recorded Covid cases were in December 2020, after a family of four from a repatriated India flight tested positive to the virus.
It has been 447 days since a new local case was recorded in Tasmania.
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