DAILY BLOG, March 23: Major hospitality group to stand down 1500 workers

Six more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Tasmania, health authorities have confirmed.

KEY POINTS:

• Tasmania’s 22nd case of coronavirus has been confirmed
• Major hospitality group to stand down 1500 workers
• Public Health haven’t made contact with two Tasmanian cruise ship passengers
• Premier issues stern warning to those flouting isolation directives
• Government to take over UTAS apartments for quarantine

DON’T MISS: Your guide to everything cancelled, postponed or closed

9pm: SIX NEW CASES AS PREMIER DECLARES WAR ON COVID-19

SIX more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Tasmania, health authorities have confirmed.

Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said this brought the state’s tally of confirmed cases to 28.

Four of the new cases are from the Ruby Princess cruise ship that arrived in Sydney on Thursday.

One is from another cruise ship Celebrity Solstice that arrived in Sydney a day later, while the other has recently returned from overseas.

Three of the new cases are from northern Tasmania and the other three are from the state’s south.

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6.30pm: PREMIER PETER GUTWEIN’S ADDRESS TO TASMANIANS

THE Premier has made an address to Tasmanians regarding how to keep themselves and their families safe during the coronavirus crisis.

“This is the gravest threat out State and Nation has faced in decades,” Mr Gutwein said.

He outlined the unprecedented measures his government was taking in the interest of “going hard and early”.

“We are acting decisively to safe lives.”

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5.30pm: COUNCILS TO CONSIDER FREEZING RATES

TASMANIAN councils are considering a suspension of rate payments as authorities scramble to cushion the blow coronavirus is having on communities.

Greater Hobart mayors last week met to discuss a package of interim community

support measures through until June 30 that are set to be presented at the four respective council meetings this week.

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2.20pm: SCHOOLS REMAIN OPEN UNDER MOUNTING PRESSURE

THE State Government says Tasmanian schools will not yet close, as pressure mounts on leaders to take immediate action to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Premier Peter Gutwein and Public Health Director Mark Veitch said authorities were acting on advice from the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee and that closing schools was not recommended.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced drastic new measures on Sunday night, to stop the spread of the dreaded virus, including the closure of pubs, clubs and casinos, but not schools.

In Tasmania, many parents have already made the decision to keep their children home from school, and the Government has said absence rules do not currently apply.

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12.46pm: MAJOR HOSPITALITY GROUP TO STAND DOWN 1500 WORKERS

The state’s major hospitality and tourism employer has culled jobs today, leaving about 1500 Tasmanians unemployed in the wake of National Cabinet lockdown mandates.

The Federal Group has closed the majority of its venues and will only manage to redeploy about 500 of its staff.

It will stand down the majority of its 2000 employees, leaving work for less than 500 of its workers.

“The small number of people that remain in our business may be redeployed or face changed working conditions,” said a spokesman.

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10.11am: REX TO CAN ALL TASMANIAN FLIGHTS

REX plane takes off.

A REGIONAL airline that last week announced it would drastically cut its flights between Burnie and Melbourne, but maintain services to King Island, has decided to stop flying out of Tasmania completely.

Last week Regional Express revealed it planned to cut its Burnie flight schedule from 27 flights a week to just seven. But the carrier said King Island’s seven flights a week would continue.

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9.53.am: TASMANIAN COUNCIL TO CONSIDER WAIVING RATES

The concept design for Burnie's new $18 million North West Museum and Art Gallery. Image: BURNIE CITY COUNCIL

THE Burnie City Council is being asked to put all major developments – including its $18 million new art centre – on hold and instead provide rate relief to the city’s residents.

Councillor Ken Dorsey has put up a motion to be debated at the council’s next meeting that all capital works projects be put on hold and the $5 million the council money set aside to progress the proposed Burnie Museum and Art Galley be used for rate relief.

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9.17am: PREMIER REINFORCES STRICT NEW LOCK-IN MEASURES

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has reinforced strict new measures that will come into play from noon today.

“Social distancing is the weapon that we have. And it will be difficult, it will be challenging, but all of us need to work together,” he said.

The National Cabinet decision which was handed down last night will see all pubs, clubs, hotels, gyms, cinemas and casinos closed while restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway only.

“The failure of people to do this the failure of people to heed the rules and follow the law will put lives at risk,” Mr Gutwein said.

He also detailed new measures around aged care facilities which will limit visits to residents.

Mr Gutwein also reiterated Tasmanian schools will remain open for the time being.

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“We recognise the incredibly important role our schools play,” he said.

Mr Gutwein said closing schools will limit education, have a negative effect on mental health, especially to those children in lower socio-economic areas.

However, parents are able to care for their children at home from Wednesday.

“This does not mean take your children out of school and let them go on holiday,” Mr Gutwein said.

“The best and most safest place for your children is at school.

“If you decide to take them out of school, look after them, be responsible for them.”

The advice will be reviewed after Term 1 holidays.

7.50pm, yesterday: FIVE MORE DIAGNOSED WITH CORONAVIRUS IN TASMANIA

THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Tasmania has grown to 22, with the five newest cases having recently returned from overseas.

In an update issued on Sunday night, Public Health Director Mark Veitch said two were people who had recently returned from the United States, two were from the Ruby Princess cruise that arrived in Sydney on March 19 and one was from the Ovation of the Seas cruise that arrived in Sydney on March 18.

“These cases diagnosed in Tasmania reflect the rapidly increasing incidence of coronavirus infection throughout the world, and the occurrence of cases and outbreaks of coronavirus infection on cruise ships. These cases show why measures to quarantine persons recently arrived from overseas were put in place, followed by measures to quarantine persons arriving from mainland Australia,” Dr Veitch said.

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