Daily blog, April 27: Healthcare workers’ Illegal dinner party

Two additional cases were confirmed on Monday night bringing the total number of cases in the state to 214. REWATCH THE DAILY COVID-19 BRIEFING HERE

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Push for business recovery taskforce
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• Further protection for residential tenants

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

7.30pm: Two further cases reported in NW

Two additional cases were confirmed on Monday night bringing the total number of cases in the state to 214.

The cases were a man and a woman from the North-West, one aged in their 20s and the other in their 60s.

Both were close contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Dr Veitch said people in the North-West, particularly in the Smithton or Circular Head area, were urged to seek testing if they were experiencing any respiratory symptoms.

“There’s been an excellent uptake in testing,” he said.

“Quite a number of those people tested in the North-West have been healthcare workers who are participating in the Return to Work program, but there are also a number of people in the North-West coming out of the community to be tested.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

5pm: No evidence of illegal NW party

A POLICE investigation into an illegal dinner party rumoured to have been linked to the coronavirus outbreak among healthcare workers in the North-West has found “no evidence”.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins issued a statement this afternoon saying the allegation of an illegal dinner party had been assessed.

“Investigators have determined that there is no evidence of such a gathering occurring

after the relevant Directions by the Director of Public Health under section 16 of the

Public Health Act 1997,” he said.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3.30pm: LOCAL GOLFERS MASTER DISTANCING TO A TEE

LOCAL golfers itching to get out on the green have been given extra encouragement from a peak sporting body.

New advice from Golf Australia has suggested golfers should continue playing with new protocols in place.

Golf Australia Tasmania Game Development Manager Simon Weston said golf provided an important outlet for people.

“We know for the majority of golfers it is their form of exercise and it’s a social event for them,” he said.

“Most sports are shut down and gyms are closed, so most golfers recognise that it’s a privilege to play and they don’t want to jeopardise that.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

11.35am: ‘INDEPENDENT REVIEW’ ORDERED INTO NW OUTBREAK

Premier Peter Gutwein says the report into the North-West outbreak has been provided to the Secretary of Health and will likely be released to the public in full later this week.

An independent review will also be undertaken into the deadly coronavirus cluster at a later time.

“When the time is right that review and investigation will take place,” he said.

He said while some states may be lifting restrictions early, Tasmania would not follow suit.

“We have to get on top of the North-West outbreak,” he said.

Mr Gutwein said before restrictions in the state would ease, we would need to keep our tracking and tracing levels high, keep our testing levels high, and have COVID-ready business plans in place.

He said manual tracing efforts were working well, however it was a difficult process.

“This is where the tracing app will assist,” he said.

“I’ve downloaded the app.

“I would encourage people to download this app. Your privacy will be protected.”

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said out of the 212 confirmed cases in the state, 140 cases were in the North-West.

He said there was a small, single-digit number of active coronavirus cases in the South.

Dr Veitch said none of the four cases confirmed on Sunday night posed a significant community risk.

He encouraged communities in the North-West to come forward if they have the slightest symptoms to get tested, particularly in the Smithton area.

He also urged people with respiratory symptoms in the North and South to get tested to help confirm there is no community transmission in those regions.

“We want to see at least a couple of hundred people a day in the North and South,” he said.

Dr Veitch said there were 152 cases of influenza in Tasmania at the moment, which is two or three times less than usual.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said 132 people had so far recovered from the virus in Tasmania.

On Sunday, 82 tests were conducted in the South, 51 in the North, and 593 through the North-West.

She said 533 tests were already booked in for Monday.

The mobile testing clinic will remain in Smithton due to three confirmed coronavirus cases residing in the Smithton and Circular Head areas.

Mr Gutwein said he did not want to see complacency creep in, and urged people to continue to social distance and practice good hygiene.

“This will not be over quickly,” he said.

“The most important thing that we can do right now is to stay home, stay safe, save lives, and follow the rules.”

– Kasey Wilkins 

11am: WATCH THE STATE GOVERNMENT’S DAILY CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

9.30am: EASY EXPLAINER: HOW THE COVIDSAFE APP WORKS

More than 1.13 million people have also downloaded the COVID-19 tracing app, which aims to help health officials identify people who may have come into contact with someone with the disease.

Called COVIDSafe, the voluntary app became available for download and registration on Sunday evening and has been backed by doctors, nursing, business and banking groups.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

7.45am: FOUR NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES CONFIRMED

A FURTHER four coronavirus cases reported last night took the total number of Tasmanians diagnosed to 212.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said all the new cases were directly or indirectly linked to the outbreak at the North West Regional Hospital.

They were aged in their 20s, 30s 50s and 70s.

Two were healthcare workers who worked at the NWRH, one was a recent inpatient at the hospital and one was a close contact of a previous NWRH healthcare worker case.

Earlier yesterday one case detected since Saturday was identified as a young health care worker at the Mersey Community Hospital.

Dr Veitch said tracing showed the man, in his 20s, had very few contacts but those identified had been advised and placed in quarantine.

Dr Veitch said a concerted effort was being made to identify any further cases of coronavirus in Tasmania, with testing criteria expanded in line with national guidelines.

“Anyone in Tasmania who currently, or in the last few days has had 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,” Dr Veitch said.

According to the latest State Government figures on testing and cases, 8202 Tasmanians have been tested for coronavirus.

Tasmania has now recorded 212 cases of the deadly infection, and a significant jump in the rate of testing is likely to reveal more positive cases in the week ahead.

For further information about coronavirus in Tasmania visit www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au

7.30am: TASSIE TOPS ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE REPORT

TASMANIA’S economy has received its best economic ranking in over a decade, in a report labelled “bittersweet” by the business community.

The latest CommSec State of the States report released today, which is based on pre-coronavirus data, places Tasmania equal with Victoria as the nation’s top economy.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

5:47am: HANKS DONATES BLOOD FOR VIRUS VACCINE

AFTER being one of the first celebrities to be diagnosed with coronavirus, Tom Hanks has announced that his blood will be used to help find a vaccine.

Hanks, 63, and his wife Rita Wilson were two of the first celebrities struck down with the virus, and they were also the first to come out about their diagnosis and to recover.

Now, the Oscar-winning actor and his singer-actor wife revealed they have volunteered to give their blood and plasma to COVID-19 research.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8pm, Sunday: NO TIMELINE FOR RELEASE OF VIRUS INVESTIGATION FINDINGS

THERE is still no indication when Tasmanians will learn what led to a deadly coronavirus cluster in the North-West with the State Government failing to give a definitive answer on when the investigative report will be released.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said the Public Health Service report into the outbreak at the North West Regional Hospital has been completed and was being read by Tasmania’s health officials.

“The PHS has completed a report describing the outbreak,” Dr Veitch said during Sunday’s daily coronavirus briefing.

“It is being shared internally and will allow Tasmania to better respond in the future.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE