DAILY BLOG, April 9: Three more healthcare workers infected

Four more cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Tasmania, including three more healthcare workers at the North West Regional Hospital.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The state’s coronavirus infections have risen to 107
• 50-year-old man arrested for allegedly escaping quarantine
• Can you still take your L-plater for driving lessons?
• Big box retail, farmer’s market future uncertain
• Campers have been fined for flouting lockdown regulations

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?

9.30pm: TASSIE MOST VULNERABLE TO VIRUS’S EFFECTS

JUST how long Tasmania could remain in lockdown due to coronavirus is unclear, but relaxing restrictions too early could undo the state’s success in containing the spread, an epidemiologist has warned.

The state has had 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three of them have died, representing a mortality rate of 2.7 per cent.

Nationwide, less than one out of every 100 confirmed cases has succumbed to the illness.

Until this week, Tasmania’s curve had been flattening, but an outbreak linked to Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital now accounts for nearly one-quarter of the state’s cases.

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7.55pm: RESIDENTS WANT BEACH ACCESS RETURNED

Residents of a popular beachside suburb have written to the Premier asking for access to part of their beach as its closure had affected their ability to safely exercise while complying with social isolation rules.

Since March 29, beaches, parks and reserves run by the Parks and Wildlife Service have been closed to the public while all other council-controlled beaches remain open.

Braye Sutherland wrote to Premier Peter Gutwein on March 31 on behalf of more than 100 residents asking for part of the beach to be open to residents only for exercise.

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7.30pm: FOUR MORE CASES OF CORONAVIRUS

FOUR more cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Tasmania, all from the state’s North-West.

Three of the cases are healthcare workers who have worked at the North West Regional Hospital and/or the North West Private Hospital.

The fourth is a close contact of a previously identified case.

It brings the state’s coronavirus tally to 111.

Public Health Director Dr Mark Veitch said the outbreak management team is already identifying and contacting any person who has had close contact with any of these staff and will ensure necessary actions are taken.

“In addition, Public Health Services is also following up household and social contacts of all confirmed cases,” he said.

“If any hospital staff member or patient is determined to be a close contact of these cases, they will be contacted and advised of the action they need to take.

“It may be necessary for other staff and patients to be tested for coronavirus as investigations progress. We will assess and test any symptomatic staff member or patient who is symptomatic and has been at risk of exposure to coronavirus.”

The situation with coronavirus is changing regularly. 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.

5.10pm: HANDCUFFED ENTRANCE FOR QUARANTINE ESCAPE ACCUSED

A LAUNCESTON man accused of repeated breaches of his Government-mandated coronavirus quarantine has been released from custody after pleading not guilty to a range of charges.

Richard Pollock, 50, appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court in handcuffs on Thursday with his jumper pulled up over his face.

His mandatory 14-day isolation period expired at midnight on Wednesday, but Mr Pollock has been in police custody since Monday after allegedly breaching his quarantine requirements.

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4pm: POLICE TAKE TO THE SKIES TO CATCH RULE BREAKERS

AUTHORITIES say small Tasmanian communities are self-policing and ready to inform on outsiders entering their areas over the Easter break.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is also being deployed to camping hot spots and shack communities to direct police to vehicles suspected of being out of their home area and officers say they will be ready to act.

“The helicopter will be tasked to hot spots and we will act on the intelligence gathered,” Acting Western District Commander Stuart Wilkinson said.

“Police units on the ground will be in contact with the chopper.

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3.20pm: MORE CASES EXPECTED IN BURNIE OUTBREAK

STATE health authorities are bracing for continued spikes in coming days in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases linked to Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital.

There are now 23 cases of COVID-19 from the outbreak, representing more than one-fifth of the state’s total tally, which stands at 107.

Fifteen healthcare workers, two close contacts, five current inpatients and another that has been discharged have tested positive to the virus.

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3.10pm: ‘WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER’

FORMER Premier Will Hodgman has praised the response of state and federal governments to the coronavirus crisis and urged Tasmanians to heed warnings to stay home.

Mr Hodgman, the state’s 45th premier, resigned in January after almost two decades in politics, including six years as premier.

In two posts on Twitter on Thursday morning, he said the governments led by Peter Gutwein and Scott Morrison were doing “an extraordinary job to keep us safe”.

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12.30pm: “GLOVES ARE OFF” IN FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS

“THE gloves are off” in the fight against coronavirus in Tasmania, Premier Peter Gutwein has declared as authorities talk tough on strict new measures to keep people at home.

In his sternest warning yet to Tasmanians, a frustrated Premier said while most were doing the right thing, a small percentage continued to flout the rules.

Mr Gutwein said helicopters will be used to create “eyes in the sky” to detect those ignoring warnings and taking the risk of travelling to their shack.

The Government has repeatedly urged Tasmanians not to follow their usual Easter traditions for fear of the virus spreading into smaller and more vulnerable communities.

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11.30am: FATE OF POPULAR MARKET REVEALED

Farm Gate Market, Hobart. Picture Chris Kidd

THE team behind one of Hobart’s most popular markets has thanked their supporters through the pandemic period as COVID-19 restrictions interfere with their operations.

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10.30am: EASY EXPLAINER: AM I ELIGIBLE FOR JOBKEEPER PAYMENTS?

WAGE subsidies worth $130 billion will soon flow to workers around Australia as the Federal Government scrambles to save six million jobs.

Federal parliament ticked off on the historic JobKeeper scheme on Wednesday night, paving the way for $1500-a-fortnight payments for coronavirus-hit employees.

The Australian Taxation Office will give businesses with a 30 per cent fall in turnover due to coronavirus $1500 for each worker a fortnight, with payments expected to reach employers in the first week of May.

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9.30am: EYES IN THE SKY: HELICOPTERS TO MONITOR TRAVELLERS

HELICOPTERS will take to the sky to ensure Tasmanians are abiding by lockdown measures across Easter.

Premier Peter Gutwein said the state is facing “the five most critical days” over the long weekend, and emphasised police will be fining and turning would-be holiday-makers around.

“In the main, Tasmanians are doing the right thing and I say thank you for it. But there is a percentage of Tasmanians that aren’t,” he said.

“Parents have had to suffer the indignity of making contact with me to ask if they can have a family meeting to tell their children that one of them is gravely ill.

“Yet we still have Tasmanians flouting the rules.”

Mr Gutwein said the full penalty of $16,800 will apply, or a potential six months in jail for those heading to shacks or the East Coast this weekend.

“If you go to a shack and you don’t have a reasonable excuse to be there, you will be asked to leave, if you don’t you will be summonsed and charged,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We will have helicopters, there will be eyes in the sky.

“We want to ensure that we protect Tasmanians, it is not good enough to be hearing reports of campers and trailers heading to the East Coast.”

Mr Gutwein said based on modelling, if the state had open borders similar to New South Wales, it would have 280 cases.

“We are in front of the pack, I want to keep us there. But we can only keep Tasmania safe if we follow the rules,” he said.

The North West Coast will “effectively” be locked down, Mr Gutwien said.

“The rules are strict, we ask people to abide by them, they will be policed,” he said.

9.15am: WATCH LIVE: PREMIER TO UPDATE ON LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES

8.30am: CRYING CUSTOMERS, CONFUSED CAFE OWNERS, CONFLICTED HAIRDRESSERS

CAFES, hairdressers, book shops and sex shops: small businesses in Tasmania are individually grappling with what to do during the COVID-19 crisis.

In Hobart’s Northern suburbs, community concern combined with commercial interest is keeping some traders open, while others believe they best serve the public interest by closing.

During a weekday lunch time this week the cafe and shopping strip in Moonah was subdued.

Cars streamed steadily along Main Rd, but foot traffic was relatively light.

The area’s pubs and poker machine rooms, along with popular restaurant St Albi, were closed last month in line with Federal Government restrictions on larger venues.

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7.30am: TASSIE STARS SHARE LIFE-SAVING MESSAGE

HOME-grown greats David Boon, Rodney Eade, Alastair Lynch, Matthew Richardson, Ricky Ponting and Marcos Ambrose have each recorded a video message about the importance of social distancing and self-isolating this Easter.

Alex Peroni, Jack Riewoldt, Tim Paine, Ben Brown, Matthew Wade and Grant Birchall also jumped at the chance to spread the word among their fans.

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7am: EVIL ONLINE PREDATORS TARGET KIDS IN LOCKDOWN

WHILE our streets, shopping centres and beaches are empty, the dark corners of the web are busy with predators flooding forums, talking about the new opportunities the coronavirus pandemic has given them to prey on the increased number of children now online.

Disturbingly, in one forum, paedophiles reflect on the fact that, with isolation measures in place, they have greater opportunities to contact children remotely to groom them for sexual exploitation, while others observe that they have more time to abuse children.

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6.30am: POLICE TO SWARM STATE’S TOURIST HOT SPOTS

Aerial view of Bruny Island Lighthouse at sunset.

FROM Bridport to Boat Harbour and Bruny Island, police have promised to patrol holiday hot spots over Easter to ensure compliance with strict stay-at-home directives.

This week, Premier Peter Gutwein told Tasmanians this Easter would be like no other and warned people not to travel to their shacks.

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MORE NEWS:

Why day 10 of a COVID-19 infection is crucial for patients

Mayor supports keeping his people in and others out if needed

Talking Point: Stamp out the state’s weak link, home isolation of positive cases

9.25pm, yesterday: NINE MORE CASES OF CORONAVIRUS

THE state’s coronavirus tally has passed 100, with nine new cases confirmed on Wednesday night.

Public Health Director Dr Mark Veitch said eight of the cases are from the North-West, and three of those are healthcare workers at the North West Regional Hospital.

At least one of those people has also recently worked at the North West Private Hospital.

Another case is a close contact of a previously identified case.

Four of the cases are patients who have been admitted to both NWRH and NWPH. All of these patients are now being cared for in the NWRH.

The ninth case is from southern Tasmania. Eight of the cases are women.

The new cases bring the state’s tally to 107.

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