Daily blog, May 11: Four days without a new case
Tasmania’s streak of zero new coronavirus cases has continued tonight, with Public Health Services confirming the state’s total remains at 225.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- REVEALED: Tassie’s road map out of COVID-19 restrictions
- When do the pubs reopen?
- When do the kids go back to school?
- Cash boost to help pay rent amid pandemic
- What went wrong? Experts offer their views
READ MORE:
- Everything we know about the cases of COVID-19 in Tasmania
- Where each case of coronavirus occurred in Tasmania
WHEN IS TODAY’S UPDATE?
There will be no daily update from Premier Peter Gutwein today.
7.20pm: FOUR DAYS WITHOUT A NEW CASE
TASMANIA’S streak of zero new coronavirus cases has continued tonight, with Public Health Services confirming the state’s total remains at 225.
It is the fourth consecutive day without a positive test recorded.
“There have been no new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania as of 6pm today,” Acting Director of Public Health Dr Scott McKeown said.
Any Tasmanian with cold or flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose, or fever should contact their GP or call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange testing for coronavirus.
7pm: HOW YOU CAN HELP EMERGENCY ‘ANGELS’
A NATIONAL charity training emergency workers and saving lives has put out an appeal to raise urgent funds — and helping out is as easy as drinking a cuppa.
CareFlight’s aeromedical services have travelled to far-reaching and remote corners of Tasmania but, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the trauma care training workshops and rescue services have not visited the state since December.
CareFlight’s $2 million shortfall from cancelled fundraisers has prompted the team to put out a “Mayday” call, launching their #CuppaforCareFlight campaign to raise $150,000.
3.20pm: DROP IN FERRY SERVICES RAISES ALARM FOR SICK ISLANDERS
A BRUNY Island resident is concerned the health of the small community could be at risk due to a decrease in ferry services.
The resident’s concerns were outlined in a letter sent by Greens Health spokeswoman Rosalie Woodruff to Transport Minister Michael Ferguson in late April.
Ms Woodruff said the resident was concerned that due to the ferry services being decreased amid the coronavirus pandemic, ambulances would effectively be cut off from getting sick patients to hospital in a timely fashion in the middle of the day.
12pm: BREASTSCREEN SERVICES TO RESUME
BREASTSCREEN Tasmania services in the state’s South and North will resume from Monday.
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the screening service was temporarily suspended in late March to protect staff and patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“This was based on the advice of the experts, such as the national Breast Screening Advisory Committee,” she said.
“BreastScreen Tasmania is in the process of contacting women whose appointments were postponed to reschedule their appointments, and screening reminders for women who are due or overdue for their screening have already commenced.”
From today services in Hobart and Launceston will resume, alongside the mobile clinic at Exeter.
The Devonport mobile clinic will reopen on May 25.
Woman who receive their BreastScreen reminder are asked to call 13 20 50 to confirm their appointment.
11am: CHINA ‘PRESSURED’ WHO TO DELAY VIRUS WARNING
CHINESE President Xi Jinping reportedly pressured the director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in January to hold off on issuing a global warning about the coronavirus outbreak, according to a report in a German newspaper.
But WHO has strongly denied the claims, calling them “unfounded and untrue”.
According to the New York Post, the January 21 conversation between Jinping and WHO leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was reported in Der Spiegel, which cited intelligence from Germany’s federal intelligence service, known as the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND).
10am: KUNANYI/MT WELLINGTON READY TO REOPEN FOR EXERCISE
WELLINGTON Park is open today for locals who live within a 30km radius – but vehicles will only be able to get as far as Fern Tree.
Hobart City Council has announced that kunanyi/Mt Wellington has reopened in line with government announcements that all national parks and reserves will open following an easing of the COVID-19 restrictions.
However, there are some exemptions to access.
9am: HAVE RESTRICTIONS PERMANENTLY CHANGED THE WAY WE MOURN?
SOME funeral directors predict COVID-19 could create lasting changes for grieving Tasmanians as restrictions begin lifting today.
Graham Family Funerals director Paul Graham said the industry adapted when Tasmanian funeral gatherings were restricted to ten people.
“We (were) limiting contact, using FaceTime and chat rooms to make arrangements without having people come in face-to-face to help them understand what a funeral would look like,” he said.
8am: FAMILY SHARES GRIEF OVER LOSING RELATIVE AMID PANDEMIC
A HOBART family has described the anguish of losing a loved one in aged care amid the COVID-19 crisis, as a relaxing of visitor restrictions from today aims to ease the burden on other families.
As Jan Revill reached the end of her battle with cancer at the Regis Eastern Shore aged care home, her family struggled with the limited time they were allowed by her side.
From today, families will be granted more time to spend with their loved ones in aged care, with visits now increased to one visit a week with no more than two visitors, managed by each facility.
7am: JOBKEEPER SHOCK AS PM CONSIDERS SHAKE-UP OF $1500 PAYMENT
SCOTT Morrison is considering slashing the $1500 JobKeeper payment or phasing it out faster than expected amid fears it’s creating “zombie” companies that don’t exist without the wage subsidy.
Just days after the first payments started hitting employers’ bank accounts, news.com.au has confirmed options are under consideration to end the one-size-fits-all approach of paying $1500 a fortnight to each employee regardless of the size of the business, or whether workers are part-time or casual and previously earned less.
The current JobKeeper scheme is legislated to end on September 27, but new options under examination include: reducing the $1500 subsidy, targeting it at smaller businesses, or limiting it to particular industries that are hardest hit by COVID restrictions.
6am: CASES TO ‘SOAR’ AND DEATHS TO INCREASE AS SECOND WAVE HITS
AN INFECTIOUS diseases specialist says Australia should brace for coronavirus cases to soar as restrictions lift and a second wave of the virus hits.
Dr Dena Grayson, a specialist based in Florida, told 60 Minutes that lifting social distancing restrictions could undo all of Australia’s good work.
“Your country’s done a fabulous job of getting your hands around this virus and just as you’re literally entering flu season, and you’re not having a lot of new cases.
“Now is really not the time for Australia to let its foot off the brake,” Ms Grayson said. “My worry is you let your foot off the brake and so many people will die.
5am: CASH FOR REGIONAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
TASMANIA’S regional businesses will be bolstered by a new support package.
Small Business Minister Sarah Courtney has announced a $100,000 support package for Tasmanian chambers of commerce to be allocated to organisations across the state, with each to receive more than $8300.
“These funds will support activities and services identified by each of the chambers as essential to their region and includes administration support, localised marketing campaigns, enhanced social media promotion, digital video conferencing and the development of regional recovery action plans,” Ms Courtney said.
8.15pm yesterday: TESTING ENCOURAGED AS CASES DWINDLE
FOR a third day in a row Tasmania has recorded no new cases of coronavirus.
In an update on Sunday night, Public Health director Mark Veitch said the number of cases detected in the state remained at 225.
The latest data on coronavirus in Tasmania shows 27 cases listed as active, with seven people being treated in hospital.
There have been only four cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania since Monday.
RESTAURANTS FIGHTING TO BEAT ‘APOCALYPSE’
ONLINE LEARNING SHIFT FOSTERS STUDENTS’ RESILIENCE
MOUNTAIN READY TO REOPEN AS RESTRICTIONS EASE
Health Minister Sarah Courtney encouraged anyone with mild cold or flu-like symptoms to be tested for coronavirus.
“Presentations at our respiratory clinics continue to remain strong. [On Saturday] we saw 89 in the North, 282 in the South and 163 across the North-West,” she said.
Experts push for double shot as new Covid wave looms
As deaths from Covid continue, Tasmanians are being urged to get boosters and flu shots with doctors saying infection rates are “taking off and complacency is setting in”. LATEST FIGURES >>
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