Daily blog, April 23: LIVE: Watch the Premier’s daily update

For the first time in more than 20 days, Tasmania has recorded no new cases of coronavirus.

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

This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. To support the Mercury, subscribe here:

>> SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE $1 FOR THE FIRST 28 DAYS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Homes light up to thank our ‘true heroes’
• Elective surgery restart a ‘top priority’
• Builders laid off as projects dry up
• Further protection for residential tenants
• $3M support package for visa holders

READ: Everything we know about all 205 cases of COVID-19 in Tasmania

What time is the Premier’s daily update?

Today’s daily update was at 11am. Watch the re-run below.

8pm: TASMANIA RECORDS NO NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS

NO new cases of coronavirus have been detected in Tasmania since 6pm Wednesday.

It is the state’s first day with zero new cases since March 31, meaning Tasmania’s infection tally remains at 205.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch a concerted effort was being made to identify any further COVID-19 cases in the North-West breakout area.

He said anyone who lived in the region with respiratory symptoms like a cough, sore throat, runny nose or fever should arrange testing through the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 or their GP.

The state government will hold a live update with the Premier at 9.30am on Friday, with the event live-streamed on the Mercury website.

7pm: PARENTS NOT EXPECTED TO BE TEACHING ‘EXPERTS’

THE government is determined to ensure students receive the best education possible, despite disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff says.

Government schools reopen on Tuesday. Term two runs from April 28 to July 3, but for the vast majority of Tasmanian students that will mean classes at the kitchen table, their lessons being supervised by mum or dad.

Schools will be open, but parents are being encouraged to keep their children home if they can, to help with social distancing measures intended to contain COVID-19.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

12pm: CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN MAY BE EXTENDED

THE tough restrictions in place in Tasmania’s coronavirus epicentre might not be lifted on Sunday as first planned, Premier Peter Gutwein has warned.

The North-West is home to two thirds of the State’s 205 COVID-19 cases with 117 directly linked to an outbreak at the North West Regional Hospital and the neighbouring private facility.

Up to 5000 people, health care workers, former patients and their families, were put in quarantine and the largest tranche is due to come out of isolation on Sunday or Monday.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

11am: WATCH THE PREMIER’S DAILY UPDATE LIVE

9am: ELECTIVE SURGERY RESTART A ‘TOP PRIORITY’

PLANS are well advanced for a “gradual and staged” resumption of elective surgery for public patients, Health Minister Sarah Courtney says.

The coronavirus pandemic has halted elective surgery around the state.

Ms Courtney said her department was working with clinicians to go through the waiting list as soon as possible.

That restart would depend on hospital capacity and would be prioritised according to need, she said.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8am: PARLIAMENT ‘LITE’ UNACCEPTABLE

A SINGLE sitting day of parliament a week is not enough for proper scrutiny of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, opposition parties say.

Parliament is due to return next Thursday after originally being suspended until August.

Premier Peter Gutwein said parliament would sit for at least one day for each scheduled sitting week, with additional days scheduled as required to pass legislation. That plan would add around five sitting days to the parliamentary schedule.

But Opposition Leader Rebecca White said it was not enough: “Parliament-lite was not what was promised, and it is not what the Tasmanian community expected when they were told there would be greater accountability and transparency,” she said.

“It was never going to be possible to return to the normal parliamentary schedule, particularly with tough lockdown restrictions still in place in the North-West, but what has been proposed by the Government is not acceptable.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said negotiations were continuing for extra sitting days.

“We are hopeful the government will accept our proposal for an additional day of sitting,” she said.

7am: SUPERMARKETS EASE RESTRICTIONS

SUPERMARKET giants Woolworths and Coles have eased some of their buying restrictions, in a sign that life may be returning to normal amid ongoing coronavirus concerns.

The move comes more than six weeks after supermarkets were forced to imposed buying limits due to hoarding and panic buying as a result of COVID-19.

Coles this week reopened its home delivery, “click and collect”, to all customers, after having previously limited orders for vulnerable and remote Australians because of the COVID-19 crisis.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

6am: COPS CARRY OUT 10,000 COMPLIANCE CHECKS

MORE than 10,000 COVID-19 quarantine compliance checks have been carried out in Tasmania over the past four weeks, with 144 people charged or summonsed.

Tasmania Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said 3270 compliance checks had been carried out in the South, 2330 in the North and 4640 in the North-West.

He said 364 vehicle checks had also been carried out in the North-West, with some motorists turned around and sent home.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8.30pm, yesterday: TWO HOSPITAL WORKERS INFECTED WITH COVID-19

FOUR new Tasmanian coronavirus cases have been confirmed since 6pm Tuesday, including two North-West hospital workers.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said all four new cases were from the North-West and included three women and one man.

One person is in their 20s, one in their 30s, one in their 40s and one in their 50s.

Tasmania’s COVID-19 tally now stands at 205.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE