Hundreds of Tasmanians tested for Covid-19 in wake of hospital worker infection
More than 700 Tasmanians have been tested for Covid-19 in the wake of news a Launceston hospital worker tested positive in London. LATEST >>
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MORE than 700 Tasmanians were screened for Covid on Saturday, in the wake of news a Launceston General Hospital worker tested positive for the virus in London.
Among those tested were “Gourmet Farmer” Matthew Evans and his wife Sadie Chrestman – currently isolating at Bicheno and awaiting test results – after their Fat Pig Farm was identified as a potential exposure site.
“There are far worse places to be in isolation until the results come back,” Evans said.
Luckily, by chance the farm was already closed this week, meaning the incident had little impact on its operations.
“It hasn’t affected our operations except all of the staff had to get tested in their breaks,” Evans said.
“We feel very much for the businesses that have been closed.”
He said most of his and Chrestman’s staff had already received their negative results, adding it was a shame other Tasmanian businesses had been impacted.
“This is the cost that business has to bear … because of a botched vaccine rollout and a leaky quarantine system. We’re all in the same boat.”
Numerous businesses across the state were forced to close their doors abruptly over the weekend, with staff required to undergo testing and to self-isolate.
On Sunday, Minister Sarah thanked the businesses identified as potential exposure sites, and for the wave of people that turned up to be swabbed, for responding swiftly and “with such good will”.
Ms Courtney said the state government would work with businesses “to ensure we assist them through this time”.
“We expect that when we have incidents such as this, there will sadly be impacts on businesses,” she said.
It was previously announced that one-off payments of up to $250 would be made available to affected workers required to isolate, while businesses that closed their doors over the weekend would also be eligible for financial support.
The man who tested positive worked his last shift at the LGH on June 20 before visiting several locations in the state’s North, South-West and Huon regions.
In the South, those sites included Fat Pig Farm, Fika Time Café and General Store, Birch Lane Bed & Breakfast, United Petroleum at New Norfolk and Pedder Wilderness Lodge.
On Sunday, Director of Public Health Mark Veitch announced the flight the man took between Launceston and Melbourne, before he tested positive in London, had been added to a list of possible Tasmanian exposure sites.
Vaccination booking kiosks set up in shopping centres
The federal government is taking its Covid-19 vaccine push to the streets with pop up stands in shopping centres providing Tasmanians struggling to book a jab online or by phone the opportunity to sign up.
The new vaccination booking kiosks are part of Operation Covid-19 Shield which is focused on boosting public confidence in the Australian COVID-19 vaccine rollout and getting as many residents vaccinated as early as possible.
Pop-up clinic locations have been chosen using local demographics such as a higher ageing population, lower Covid-19 vaccination uptake and medium to high vaccine availability.
In Burnie’s Kmart Plaza this week there has been a steady stream of people approaching the booth to ask how and when they can get their jab.
Another kiosk has popped up at Eastlands Shopping Centre and will be open until Monday.
Feedback will then help in the broader planning and rollout of other pop-up booths.
A spokesperson for Operation Covid Shield said the Burnie kisosk was one of the first which are being rolled out as part of a national program.
“The aim is to expand the kiosks to over 50 sites across the country by the end of August which will been chosen to target areas where we want to raise vaccination rates,” he said.
“This may be due to high-populations of at-risk Australians, such as seniors as well as a focus on multicultural communities with translators and information in a range of languages will be provided.
Locations are subject to change based on emerging circumstances (such as state-based COVID restrictions).
Braddon MP Gavin Pearce said the kiosks aimed to help people struggling to book in their COVID-19 vaccination either online or by phone.
“If you have any questions about eligibility, the booking process, are looking for general
information on the COVID-19 vaccines, or you just want to speak to someone in person, then
you should drop in and get the help you need,” Mr Pearce said.
“Anyone visiting the kiosks will be assisted by registered nurses, and translators if required,
who will help to answer your COVID-19 questions.”
Mr Pearce said the people of Braddon should be proud of the way they have responded to the pandemic to date.
“The next step in combating the pandemic is widespread vaccination. Vaccination will
protect everyone in our community, especially the elderly, who are at most risk of severe
illness and possibly death from COVID-19,” he said.
“With more than 8m vaccinations and 70 per cent of people aged over 70 having had a
vaccine, I know locals will roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.”
Record amount of Tassie businesses register for Check In TAS app
TASSIE businesses are signing up in their thousands for a key contact tracing tool and the general public are also getting on board with the concept, say authorities.
This week, more than 3000 businesses registered for a QR code for the Check in TAS app, a record week for new registrations.
It has brought the total number of businesses signed up for the app across to Tasmania to more than 25,000.
Health authorities say more than 350,000 check-ins were reported statewide using the app on Thursday, the highest daily number since it was launched.
Overall, the app has been used for more than eight million check-ins to date in Tasmania.
From July 31, locations requiring the use of Check in TAS are being expanded to include places like food courts, retail premises, libraries, child care centres and accommodation places.
State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the focus was on normalising the use of the app.
“It’s going to be part of our everyday life in Tasmania to help protect our community and keep our businesses open,’’ she said.
“With every check in, we lessen the risk and length of a lockdown should an outbreak occur.
“By checking in, you also help to protect yourself as a customer and the staff in each business you check in to.”
Confusion over Tasmania’s aged care vaccination rates
JUST one in every four Tasmanian residential aged care workers have been fully immunised against coronavirus, according to official federal health figures.
But Tasmanian authorities believe the figure is much higher and have raised the issue with the Commonwealth about the capturing of data.
The federal government, which is responsible for vaccinations in aged and disability care settings, said 1856 of 7243 workers had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In figures provided to the Mercury after a request for the percentage of aged care workers and residents vaccinated to date, the federal health department also reported 37 per cent of aged care workers have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
But Tasmanian State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said through their own modelling, state officials believed many more than that had been vaccinated.
“That’s actually based on voluntary reporting of aged care facilities through a portal to the Commonwealth,’’ she said.
“Really we are looking at that as a kind of baseline level on the data.
“We have conducted, however, our own reach-ins to aged care facilities to get their lists of aged care workers and to compare that both to the Australian immunisation register and to our forward booking system.
“When we’ve done that, in terms of a sample of 2000 aged care workers, we’re seeing about 70 to 80 per cent that have actually been vaccinated.
“I’ve certainly raised it with the Commonwealth in terms of really trying to increase the data that is recorded by our aged care facilities in terms of their workers.”
Meanwhile, the federal health department said 4027 Tasmanian residential aged care residents had received a first dose Covid-19 vaccine, of which 3836 had received a second dose.
Council on the Ageing Tasmania chief executive Sue Leitch said there was plenty more work to be done.
“We’ve got a long way to go still, that’s for sure,’’ she said.
“The sooner that the mandatory vaccination is [brought in], the better, because as we’ve seen in the situation in NSW, it doesn’t take long for things to get out of control.
“There really should be a focus on getting aged care workers vaccinated as quickly as possible.”
Ms Leitch said she understood a process was underway to capture any unvaccinated aged care residents who may have been absent when the jabs were being offered at individual centres.
Statewide for the overall rollout, almost 40 per cent of eligible Tasmanians have now had at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 15 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Authorities have put a call out for medical professionals to become involved in the rollout with vaccine supply expected to ramp up in coming months.
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