North-West lockdown: State Government vows to support 5000 people in isolation

Thousands of people in the state’s North-West have been ordered to stay indoors for the next two weeks, but the Premier has promised they will be well looked after.

AUTHORITIES face a logistical challenge to meet the needs of up to 5000 North-West residents in lockdown as part of moves to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The outbreak in the state’s North-West has not only taken out almost the entire hospital workforce in the region, but also has put thousands of their family members into two weeks of home isolation.

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Premier Peter Gutwein on Monday promised that those who could not obtain food or other essential supplies through friends and family would be looked after.

Patients being transferred from the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie to the Mersey Community Hospital in Latrobe. Picture: PATRICK GEE

The lockdown represents around 4.5 per cent of the region’s population of around 112,000, and is accompanied by orders for all but essential businesses to close.

The quarantine order also affects some patients who have been discharged and some who attended the emergency department. Those people are being contacted individually.

Visitors to the hospital are not required to quarantine.

Mr Gutwein said the quarantining of so many people at once was unprecedented in Tasmanian history.

“There will be around 1000 staff, probably closer to 1200 people that will be quarantined,” he said. “With their families, that will mean we will have somewhere between 4000 and 5000 in the North-West that will be quarantined for the new 14 days.

“That is unprecedented, it is a significant ask.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein at a COVID-19 update. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The Premier pledged the government would ensure they were cared for.

“We will support them, but again I’d make the point, in most cases people will have family and friends that are outside of this circle,” he said.

He said for people that don’t have support of friends or family, the government would provide them with food and other essentials through Communities Tasmania.

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Mr Gutwein said he believed it was only a matter of time until community transmission of the disease happened in the state.

“I think, reasonably, we would have to expect at some stage that it’s going to bubble up.

“But we need to deal with this outbreak first.”

Labor’s Shane Broad said his party supported the strong measures.

“It is a huge step to close two of the region’s hospitals, but we must do all we can to protect the community and save lives,” Dr Broad said.