Push for mandatory traveller COVID tests

The detection of a new case of coronavirus in Tasmania has renewed calls for mandatory testing of all interstate arrivals, but a peak medical body disagrees.

CALLS for mandatory testing of all arrivals in Tasmania from Victoria have been renewed after the state’s first COVID-19 case in more than two months was imported from the country’s virus epicentre.

The young Tasmanian woman had returned from Victoria and was in hotel quarantine at the Best Western in Bathurst St, Hobart.

The case was revealed on Monday and she is now in a stable condition at the Royal Hobart Hospital, as authorities arrange testing for other guests and staff at the hotel.

It was the state’s 227th case, but the first confirmed since May 15.

MORE ON THE LATEST CASE:

Inside the Tassie hotel where new COVID case was confirmed

Testing in quarantine hotels to ramp up after new case

Full details on every case of coronavirus in Tasmania

Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said the risk of transmission to other guests, staff and the wider community was low, but people were being contacted and checked for symptoms and offered testing.

Dr McKeown said this included guests who had checked out but were there at the same time as the woman.

He said starting today, all high-risk people in hotel quarantine who had arrived from a hot spot such as Victoria would be strongly encouraged to be tested — but it was not mandatory.

 

Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

 

Dr McKeown said Public Health would aim to test people in hotel quarantine on days five and 12 of their 14-day stay.

But Labor leader Rebecca White said authorities should go a step further and make testing mandatory for anyone arriving from Victoria.

She said voluntary testing was not good enough.

“The alarming developments in Victoria over the past few weeks have caused increasing anxiety in the community,” she said.

“Now, confirmation of this new case after 66 days of being COVID-free shows we cannot become complacent about the pandemic returning to our state.”

 

A woma is tested for coronavirus. Picture: Go Nakamura/Getty Images/AFP

 

But the call for mandatory testing is not shared by the Australian Medical Association, whose Tasmanian president Helen McArdle said the strategy to strongly encourage testing was preferred.

“I think once you bring in mandatory testing, it changes the relationship,” she said.

“A lot of people don’t like to be forced to do things.

“I think just about everybody would be willing to undergo a test, particularly if they knew in advance that it was required.”

Dr McKeown said the latest case was a reminder to Tasmanians that “the threat of COVID still remains”.

Premier Peter Gutwein said it was “a given” that Tasmania would experience more cases, but said it was reassuring the latest case was detected in hotel quarantine.

Mr Gutwein and Dr McKeown both wished the ill woman a quick recovery.

Mr Gutwein will provide an update on the state’s border restrictions on Friday.

[e-mail]