Push for all-clear testing after repeat positive results revealed

Recovered COVID-19 patients should be tested, opposition parties claim, after revelations a Tasmanian couple were struck down with the deadly disease a second time.

TESTING to clear coronavirus-positive patients from the deadly illness should be made mandatory for all cases in Tasmania, opposition parties say.

The push comes after revelations a Blackmans Bay couple who contracted COVID-19 after travelling on a cruise ship were cleared of the virus before being struck down a second time.

As reported by the Mercury on Sunday, Jason Parsell and Danielle Hanson recovered and were cleared by health authorities and allowed into the community before later developing symptoms again and being reclassified as positive.

Danielle Hanson and Jason Parsell.

Under national guidelines, there is no requirement for positive cases to be tested to clear them of the virus, unless they are workers in health or aged care settings.

But the unusual Tasmanian case is now being considered by the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia, which provides advice to authorities about national testing guidelines.

Labor leader Rebecca White said Tasmania should act regardless, and use its increased testing capacity to screen all patients before they come out of isolation.

“We are not using the testing capacity we have, which means we can easily afford to do more testing,’’ she said.

“Testing people who are known to have had the virus at the end of their isolation period would be a very small price to pay for the added safeguard it would provide for broader public health.”

Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White on parliament lawns, Hobart. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Greens MP and epidemiologist Rosalie Woodruff said the state should not risk a similar incidence.

Dr Woodruff said with increased capacity, testing patients to clear them of the virus would not put a burden on the system.

“National guidelines are an important part of establishing a minimum standard of practice, but they should not limit individual states taking further precautions,’’ she said.

“The global understanding of COVID-19 is still developing, and we should be taking a precautionary approach. The situation in the North-West has shown how quickly this virus can snowball.”

Greens MP and epidemiologist Rosalie Woodruff. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said evidence of secondary positive tests, including the Tasmanian case, was being considered by the CDNA, which provides advice to the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee.

“I’m aware of that particular report and there have been a very small number of other reports that are similar both in Australia and internationally actually,’’ he said.

Dr McKeown said health experts were constantly reviewing information and individual cases.

He said if a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 developed further symptoms after recovering, they would be tested again.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said Tasmania was represented on the CDNA and if guidelines changed, the state would respond immediately.