Premier Peter Gutwein to update Tasmania on COVID-19 situation

Queensland will join other areas on the eastern seaboard with area-specific travel bans, ahead of expected further border announcements next week. WATCH THE LIVE UPDATE >>

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LATEST: PREMIER Peter Gutwein has issued a dire warning to people thinking of sneaking into Tasmania by lying to health authorities and put in place tentative new bans.

Mr Gutwein has updated the state on the coronavirus pandemic at a media conference in Hobart.

“Ensure that you do the right thing,” he said. “Tell the truth … if you don’t tell the truth, we will catch you and we will throw the book at you.”

Mainlanders travelling from any jurisdiction to Tasmania will be forced to pay for their own hotel quarantine and Queenslanders will also join New South Welshmen and Victorians, with area specific bans in place.

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Travellers heading to the mainland, hoping to holiday in South Australia will have to skip flights via Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, as the South Australian government will treat travellers as Victorians and force them to quarantine.

Mr Gutwein has also heralded changes to Tasmania’s border restrictions to the ACT and Queensland next week, however said this will be reviewed at a “day-by-day basis”.

He said those caught flouting restrictions faced fines of up to $16,800 and up to six months in prison.

Premier Peter Gutwein gives an update on Tasmania's borders. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

The warning comes after two COVID-positive women were caught lying to gain entry to Queensland.

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Mr Gutwein said 11 interstate travellers have been turned around since July 9 after attempting to enter the state from virus hot spots and three people had been charged with breaching quarantine protocols.

“Our number one priority through this has been the health and safety of Tasmanians,” he said.

The Premier said nearly 700 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours and the sole case of coronavirus in the state has now been cleared of the disease.

And he extended Tasmania’s “utmost sympathies” to Victorians saying “they are in the fight of their lives”.

Mr Gutwein last week announced that from August 7, there would be a quarantine-free “travel bubble” between Tasmania South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Entry restrictions still exist for travellers attempting to enter Western Australia.

And travel to or from South Australia via Melbourne has been ruled out by South Australian authorities.

From today, essential travellers from Victoria and other designated hot spots have been subject to mandatory COVID-19 testing.

Freight and logistics operators must also undergo tests on arrival unless they have evidence of having being tested within seven days of their arrival in Tasmania

The government said essential travellers from hot spots were unlikely to be granted exemptions to travel to Tasmania unless there were exceptional circumstances such as medical treatment or industry-critical circumstances.

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EARLIER: PREMIER Peter Gutwein is expected to announce more on Tasmania’s border situation as the COVID-19 outbreak on the mainland worsens.

A further 627 coronavirus cases and seven new deaths were confirmed today in Victoria, while police were forced to disband protesters, flouting lockdown mandates.

Meanwhile, NSW has recorded another 18 cases of the virus, taking its active case numbers to more than 200.

In Queensland, three new cases of coronavirus were recorded on Thursday but were not related to two 19-year-old women who tested positive after visiting Melbourne and Sydney and then allegedly lying about their whereabouts.

Strict controls are in place for arrivals into Tasmania, including mandatory 14-day quarantine either in a hotel or at their own residence, with exemptions to this rules (including essential workers) considered on a case-by-case basis.

Last week Mr Gutwein announced Tasmania would open its borders to South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory on August 7 – as they were deemed COVID-safe states.

However, due to flight paths, travelling to South Australia is the only feasible option for Tasmanians looking for a holiday.

More to come...

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