Daily blog, April 21: COVID-19 Tracker app necessary for life to return to normal
Just one new case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Tasmania today, taking the state’s total to 201.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Homes light up to thank our ‘true heroes’
- What went wrong in the North West?
- IVF clinics in the state have been shut down
- Politician slammed for staying at East Coast shack
READ: Everything we know on every case of COVID-19 in Tasmania
Have questions about business and retail, finishing school or how your movements are restricted?
7.45pm: ONLY ONE NEW CASE OF CORONAVIRUS CONFIRMED TODAY
Just one new case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Tasmania today, taking the state’s total to 201.
The new case is a North-West man aged in his 90s.
Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch confirmed the man was a patient at the North West Regional Hospital.
“A concerted effort is being made to identify any further cases of coronavirus in the North-West,” he said.
“Anyone who lives in the North-West who currently, or in the last few days has had respiratory symptoms like cough, sore throat, runny nose, or fever should arrange testing through the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 or their GP.”
The situation with coronavirus is changing frequently. People can stay up to date by visiting the Department of Health coronavirus website www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au or the Australian Government Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au.
6pm: GRADUATES ON THE FRONTLINE
MORE than 100 new graduate nurses have this week started work at southern Tasmanian health services.
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the recruitment came under the Tasmanian Health Service’s Transition to Practice Program. They will be working at the Royal Hobart Hospital, community services and in mental health.
“We know how important it is to provide opportunities for new graduates as they are the next generation of our health workforce,’’ Ms Courtney said.
4.55pm: PREMIER IN FAVOUR OF RETESTING POSITIVE CASES
PREMIER Peter Gutwein admits he has had “vigorous debate” with health officials about the merits of retesting positive coronavirus cases in Tasmania to clear them of the deadly disease.
Mr Gutwein indicated yesterday he was in favour of the concept — but said Public Health advice was that it did not need to occur.
4pm: ‘UNLAWFUL’ PROTEST PLAN SLAMMED BY POLICE
AN American-style anti-lockdown protest being planned for Hobart this weekend has prompted police to issue a stern warning that such a gathering would be against the law.
A poster has been circulating on social media urging people to “join us as we the people fight to take back our rights”.
Tasmania Police Senior Sergeant Darren Latham said police were investigating the source of the poster and warned anyone considering attending to think again.
3.10pm: 80 EXTRA VENTILATORS ON ORDER
TASMANIA will soon have more than 150 ventilators available as the state guards against further potential coronavirus cases.
Health Minister Sarah Courtney confirmed the state now had about 75 ventilators, with a further 80 on order.
Previously, Tasmania only had access to about 50 of the machines, meaning the state’s capacity will have been tripled.
2pm: STATE SUFFERS JOB LOSSES IN TENS OF THOUSANDS
NEARLY 20,000 jobs have been lost in Tasmania due to the coronavirus, potentially doubling the unemployment rate, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
The Weekly Payroll data released today shows that 7.3 per cent of the jobs in the state disappeared between March 14 and April 4.
The job losses equates to around 18,500 jobs lost in a two-week period — and would put the state’s unemployment rate above ten per cent for the first time since the late 1990s.
1pm: CHINA DISMISSES AUSTRALIA, DEFENDS FAULTY LAB
CHINA has dismissed comments from Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne concerning Beijing’s transparency with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ms Payne called for an international investigation into China’s response to the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, saying the World Health Organisation should not conduct the probe.
Authorities in Wuhan initially tried to cover up the outbreak, punishing doctors who raised the alarm online in December.
12pm: AIRLINE ADMINISTRATION ‘CATASTROPHIC’ FOR TASMANIA
TASMANIA’S tourism industry will bounce back strongly from COVID-19 despite Virgin Australia going into voluntary administration, Premier Peter Gutwein says.
Virgin Australia today entered voluntary administration “to recapitalise the business and help ensure it emerges in a stronger financial position on the other side”, the company said in a statement.
Mr Gutwein said having two airlines in Australia was important for competition, but the state’s tourism industry was an established and robust brand.
11am: VIRUS EXPOSES TASMANIA’S UGLY SIDE
THE coronavirus pandemic continues to expose Tasmania’s ugly side, with a visiting Chinese farm worker refused service in a North-West shop, and a local Facebook page set up to tell China to “f. k off” already gaining 4000 supporters.
Chinese Cultural Society of Tasmania president Yongbei Tang said Chinese people in the state were finding the current climate — in which many people were blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic — very difficult to endure.
10am: TRACKER APP NECESSARY FOR LIFE TO RETURN TO NORMAL
RESTRICTIONS on retail in the state’s North West may continue, the Premier has warned, as he encouraged Tasmanians to download the Federal Govenrment’s COVID-19 tracker app.
Premier Peter Gutwein said this morning that for the state to return to normal, there will be three prerequisites: extended testing, an “increased capacity to track and trace” and COVID-ready business plans.
“We’re not alone in having an outbreak, and like every other state or territory, or country that has had one, it’s important that you move swiftly to get on top of it and that’s exactly what we have done,” Mr Gutwein said.
“The significant quarantining of both (North West hospital) staff and their families, and the steps that we have taken to contact trace aggressively and increased testing are helping us get on top of this.
Mr Gutwein said there has been no decision yet about removing retail restrictions in the North West and said strict social distancing laws will remain in place statewide until May 15.
“The additional retail restrictions (in the North West), they may be able to be lifted on Sunday night, but we will work through that process,” he said.
“In terms of the restrictions that are in place until May 15 … all of those restrictions will not be lifted, we will step back into (normal operation) cautiously.”
A return to normality will be contingent on a lack of further outbreaks, increased testing to ensure there is no community transmission and the COVID-19 contact tracker app, which is in is soon to be released.
“Once the app is downloaded, through bluetooth connectivity, it will record the IDs of the phones that are in your vicinity,” Mr Gutwein said.
“That data will remain on your phone, if you test positive, the app can then be activated.”
Mr Gutwein said the contact tracing current in place relies on memory, and with the new contained data through the app on Australians’ phones, will expedite this process.
He also emphasised it will not violate users’ privacy, and likened it to Google and other common app’s use of location data.
9.30am: WATCH THE PREMIER’S DAILY UPDATE LIVE
7am: ‘FULL ON RELIEF’: STRANDED MAX FINDS A WAY HOME
A TEENAGE Tasmanian traveller stranded in Argentina amid the coronavirus crisis will soon be on his way home.
Max Quick has been in lockdown in a Buenos Aires apartment for five weeks, but has secured a seat on a Qantas flight to Melbourne facilitated by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
The 19-year-old from Hobart was on the trip of a lifetime when the global coronavirus pandemic worsened and his situation became uncertain.
6am: K-BLOCK REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALLY OPEN
THE Royal Hobart Hospital’s embattled K-Block redevelopment is officially open, and while issues with the building are still being fixed, the Health Minister has assured it is safe for use.
The $689 million project — which will provide an additional 44 beds — has been plagued by a series of delays.
It was originally marked to open in late 2018, before being pushed back to August the following year, before a further delay to October, and then Christmas 2019.
8.30pm, yesterday: FIVE NEW CASES CONFIRMED
TASMANIA’S coronavirus tally has reached 200, with five more cases confirmed tonight.
Acting Director of Public Health Dr Scott McKeown confirmed all of the cases are from the North-West.
All are women — four are aged in their 50s and one is aged in her 80s.
The State Government did not provide any further details on the people who had tested positive, including links to affected hospitals and aged care homes.
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