Daily blog, April 1: Parents charged to be responsible as children flout regulations

Two more cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Tasmania as an alert is issued after two people toured the state while contagious.

Get all the latest updates on the coronavirus crisis sweeping the state and country.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The state’s coronavirus infections have risen to 69
• Elderly man state’s second coronavirus death
• Tasmanians have been ordered to stay at home under tough new measures
• New restrictions on alcohol purchases as retailers combat stockpiling
• Campers have been fined for flouting lockdown regulations

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9.30pm: PHARMACIST URGES CALM ON MEDICATIONS

THOUGH the majority of Tasmanians have kept calm in the state’s chemists, a past president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia said we still need to be mindful of the supply chain.

Shane Jackson is the owner of pharmacies at Lindisfarne, Nubeena and South Arm.

He said neither he nor his staff had seen any major hoarding, with most customers being polite and understanding of the circumstances.

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9.10pm: Tassie coronavirus death toll warning

TASMANIA could see the highest coronavirus related deaths per capita, according to new research.

The demographic research was published by data analytics consultancy Evidion, and was completed by chief analytics officer and former New South Wales government chief demographer Justin Douglas.

“The report contains a mix of good and bad news for Australia,” Mr Douglas said.

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7.40pm: VIRUS ALERT AFTER CONTAGIOUS DUO TOURED STATE

SOME of the state’s top tourism venues have been contacted by Public Health Services after two people with coronavirus visited more than 20 popular sites.

Two new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Tasmania on Wednesday, Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said, also revealing two people who travelled around Tasmania last month have subsequently been diagnosed with coronavirus.

“One was likely to have been infectious with coronavirus from March 12. The other from March 19,” Dr Veitch said.

“Neither person was aware they had coronavirus while they were in Tasmania and did not present for either medical care or testing.”

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5.30pm: HELP AT HAND FOR QUARANTINED TRAVELLERS

COMMUNITIES Tasmania has appointed liaison officers to check on the welfare of people being held in quarantine in hotels around the state.

Travellers arriving in Tasmania are being put into quarantine for 14 days to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. There are currently 177 hotels rooms occupied by people in quarantine.

Yesterday, one of the people in quarantine said nobody was checking in on or offering assistance to people being kept in hotel rooms under police guard for 24 hours a day.

On Wednesday, government liaison officers were placed in each hotel to assist those needing help and to improve communication.

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5.10pm: AUSSIE CELEB JOINS DANCE STUDIO’S ONLINE REHEARSAL

AN Australian television and radio comedian has joined a local dance studio for their “best rehearsal ever”.

Hamish Blake joined Cosmic Dance’s senior ballet class for their Zoom rehearsal last night, much to the dancers’ delight.

Blake, who claims he is “classically trained”, joined six students in full leotard, complete with pink ankle warmers.

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4.55pm: INDIAN FATHER STUCK BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES

THE coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe has left a sour taste for Indian dad Inderjit Singh Sandhu, who has been holidaying in Tasmania, turning his dream trip into a nightmare.

Inderjit, 66, is on the verge of a nervous breakdown as he finds himself stuck between two countries in the pandemic lockdown – and he is fast running out of money.

He came to Hobart on March 5 to visit his teenage son Dalipinder, who is studying at the University of Tasmania.

Inderjit was supposed to fly home last week, but the Indian government closed its borders, leaving him stranded in Tasmania.

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3.10pm: BEACHGOERS CHALLENGE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

SURFERS are bummed as the some of the best places to catch a wave have been shut down.

The State Government has shut down the hotspots as part of coronavirus lockdowns of Tasmania’s parks and reserves.

Surfing Tasmania and the State’s “surfing senator” Peter Whish-Wilson have asked for clarification so the surfing community and the broader public know which beaches are closed due to who controls that slice of coastline.

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2.45pm: MINISTER SLAMS ‘APPALLING’ MASK THEFTS

THE theft of personal protective equipment from the state’s hospitals was “appalling” and offenders would feel the full force of the law, Health Minister Sarah Courtney says.

A memo sent by senior health staff yesterday revealed “a disproportionate reduction in stock” over last weekend.

An investigation is underway into the removal of surgical masks from operating theatre suites and existing stocks are being moved to a central location to prevent further thefts.

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2.30pm: PARENTS CHARGED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AS CHILDREN FLOUT REGULATIONS

TASMANIANS must not become complacent about coronavirus precautions despite a fall in the number of new infections, Premier Peter Gutwein has warned.

The state recorded no new cases of the virus overnight from 200 tests, although 58 people remain in self-isolation or hospital from 69 positive tests.

Two people – both elderly cruise ship passengers – have died.

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1.30pm: TASMANIAN RACING INDUSTRY’S IMMEDIATE FUTURE REVEALED

THE future of Tasmania’s racing industry has been determined amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The industry has been granted a special “outdoor gathering exemption” from the coronavirus lockdown to keep racing until Monday.

Tasracing has put into place 10 strategies to provide mitigating measures at all of its race meetings.

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11.45am: EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FORCED TO CLOSED

The emergency department at a Tasmanian hospital will be forced to close, with patients being asked to travel 40 minutes for medical help.

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10.30am: CHILD CARE CENTRES ON VERGE OF ‘TOTAL COLLAPSE

TASMANIAN child care centres cannot wait until Friday for advice from the Federal Government and face closing for good if something is not done sooner, says a local provider.

On Monday, March 30, Early Childhood Australia Tasmanian president Ros Cornish said centres faced downturns of up to 90 per cent due to job losses and government advice for people to stay home.

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9.28am: STATE PREPARES TO DECLARE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF VIRUS

RENTERS will be safe from eviction from their properties in a bill which is expected pass today as the state records its first day with no cases since March 19.

Premier Peter Gutwein said despite the lack of coronavirus cases diagnosed overnight, now is not the time for complacency.

“It appears we could potentially be seeing the end of the cruise ship and overseas passenger spikes,” he said.

“But I want to stress very clearly this is not the time for complacency.

“We aggressively tracking and tracing those cases we have in our community to ensure we can do everything we possibly can, to ensure people are isolated to protect themselves and others.”

Mr Gutwein referenced the strict measures which came into place midnight, Monday, March 30, limiting public and private gatherings to two and stricter measures on gyms and public spaces again and said he wants to “stay ahead of the curve”.

He was also unapologetic towards people in mandatory isolation, with several complaints about treatment coming to light yesterday.

“It gives me no joy to see the challenges we are facing in our state, but these restrictions are important,” he said.

Renters suffering financial hardship throughout the coronavirus crisis will also be able to avail themselves of support.

Mr Gutwein said the package will be rolled out today, however it will only apply to those who are suffering financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If you can pay your rent, you should. That is a very clear expectation, this bill will not provide you with support if financial hardship is not being felt.”

Parents have also come under fire, with reports of school-aged children on the loose in Tasmania’s public places.

“Monday this week we only had about 10 per cent of our students attending our schools,” Mr Gutwein said.

“Today I expect that to be even less.

“In terms of students learning from home I want to make this position really clear: the principal is still the principal.”

Mr Gutwein said to take advantage of online tools and engagement and ensure children are at home learning.

“There have been reports of children at shopping centres, in groups, this is not on,” he said.

“Follow the rules, ensure that if your children are at home that they are supervised, you know what they are doing and most importantly they are engaged with their learning.”

8.39am: ELDERLY MAN STATE’S SECOND DEATH WITH NO CASES REPORTED YESTERDAY

AN elderly man has died from COVID-19 in Hobart, taking Tasmania’s death toll from the global pandemic to two, Premier Peter Gutwein has revealed.

The man, from the state’s South, died in the Royal Hobart Hospital on Monday night. He had been a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

“I want to extend my deepest sympathy to his family and friends,” the Premier said. “This is a very, very sad time. This is two deaths in Tasmania, two deaths too many.

“It serves as a warning towards us all. These are going to be tough and difficult times, and we must all play a part to keep Tasmania safe.”

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9.40pm, yesterday: LOCKED GATES THWART GREYHOUND MEET

A GREYHOUND meeting scheduled to be held in Devonport on Tuesday was abandoned when members of the North West Greyhound Racing Club arrived to find the gates of the Devonport Showground locked.

TasRacing has sought an exemption to hold race meets across Tasmania despite them not being deemed an essential service under the state’s strict new coronavirus protocols.

However, the permit has not yet come through.

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8.10pm, yesterday: NORTHERN COUNCIL MOVES TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS

LAUNCESTON City council meetings will be held in the virtual world for the foreseeable future after new measures to control coronavirus were announced by the Premier this week.

All council meetings will now be held via video conferencing with elected members, with the audio live-streamed to the public.

Mayor Albert van Zetten said the decision was in the best interest of public safety.

“The new public gathering guidelines outlined by the Premier mean that the public will not be able to attend council meetings in person while these measures are in place,” Ald van Zetten said.

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