‘This isn’t a drill, Delta is different’
Premier Peter Gutwein has appealed to people to heed public health orders as concerns mount at the havoc the strain is causing in NSW and Queensland — and the risk of it arriving here.. LATEST COVID-19 NEWS >>
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TASMANIANS have been warned that the next coronavirus case in the state will be the Delta variant.
Premier Peter Gutwein appealed to people to heed public health orders as concerns mount at the havoc the strain is causing in New South Wales and Queensland — and the risk of it arriving here.
So great are the fears that the government has resumed briefings with opposition parties — which suspended in the wake of the first wave last year.
Mr Gutwein has held talks with Acting Labor leader Anita Dow and Greens leader Cassy O’Connor as the Delta variant causes havoc and lockdowns interstate.
New South Wales reported 207 new locally-acquired cases on Monday and Queensland reported 13 — extending its lockdown until Sunday.
Mr Gutwein told reporters that the danger loomed large.
“This isn’t a drill, Delta is different,” he said.
“This strain has shut down New South Wales and it might be shut down for months to come. “We’ve just seen an extension in Queensland of a local lockdown again.
“This is serious and people need to be sure they do the right thing.”
Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said the task ahead was stopping the Delta strain getting a foothold in Tasmania. It is twice as infections as other types of the virus.
“I think that when a case of coronavirus occurs in Tasmania, it will almost certainly be Delta,” he said.
The state is racing to vaccinate as many people as possible: 24.7 per cent of Tasmanians are fully vaccinated and 48 per cent have received one dose.
The most recent week of vaccination delivered a record 25,000 vaccines.
“The vaccination rollout is one of the largest health logistic exercises in our country’s history,” State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said, extending the call for vaccine workers to include enrolled nurses.
A stay at home order for people who have entered Tasmania from Queensland’s high risk areas since July 17 will remain in place until at least Sunday.
Tasmania closed the border on Saturday afternoon as the mainland state entered a snap lockdown.
The stay at home order issued on Saturday will be extended to 4pm Sunday.
“You must follow the requirements of the direction for 14 days after you were last in southeast Queensland and importantly you must have received a negative result from a test done at least 12 days after leaving southeast Queensland to leave the stay at home order,” Mr Gutwein said.
Those under the stay at home order can only leave home, providing they are wearing a mask, for five essential reasons.
They include shopping for essential goods, accessing medical care or to get tested, exercise within five kilometres from home, work and study, or to leave Tasmania.
Meanwhile, Tasmania Police officially cautioned five people for failing to comply with the stay at home order.
A group of four tourists from Queensland each received a caution notice, after attempting to enter the Cradle Mountain National Park.
A 19-year-old Southern Tasmanian woman also received a caution after attending the Hobart Waterfront on Saturday night.
Mr Gutwein appealed for people to follow the rules.
“It surprises me that we have five people so blatantly disregard the orders we’re putting in place to keep our community safe,” he said.
“And I would just say to people: ‘don’t be an idiot. Do the right thing. The reason we’re doing is so that we can keep you safe, your family safe and most importantly our community safe’.”
Mainland outbreaks ‘very serious’ as cases explode
THE Covid-19 outbreak in Queensland is extremely serious and Tasmanians who have recently returned from the state have been urged to heed quarantine rules.
More than 11,000 travellers who have arrived in Tasmania from Queensland since July 17 have been told to isolate.
The order remains in place until 6pm on Tuesday, but is likely to be extended after southeast Queensland announced it would extend its lockdown until 4pm Sunday.
Queensland has recorded 15 new cases of Covid-19, with 13 linked to the Indooroopilly Delta cluster, leading to a five-day extension of the southeast lockdown and the cancellation of the Ekka.
Seven of Queensland’s new cases are school students while the Delta variant cluster has increased to 31 cases.
Tasmanian students and staff affected by the restrictions for Queensland have been told not to attend school on Monday and Tuesday.
Government minister Guy Barnett said the state government was watching the Queensland outbreak with concern.
“This is a really serious situation that we’re in and so it is important that those stay-at-home messages are sent out and those that have been in those hot spots in Queensland must stay at home to protect the health and safety of the Tasmanian community,” he said.
“We remain concerned every day – day in, day out. This is a particularly concerning outbreak in Queensland, with the Delta variant absolutely on the prowl in Queensland, and we do not want it here in Tasmania.
“We want to do everything we can to protect the Tasmanian citizens and that’s why that decision was made yesterday.
“So we must remain vigilant and I just thank Tasmanians for coming to the party and keeping our communities safe.”
Those affected by the isolation orders are allowed out only to shop for essential goods and services, to access medical treatment or supplies including Covid testing, to attend work or school if unable to be undertaken at home, to undertake personal exercise within 5km of their home, or to leave the state.
Face masks must be worn when leaving for any of the approved reasons.
Call to arms for second AstraZeneca jab
It’s “absolutely crucial” Tasmanians who have had their first AstraZeneca dose get their second AstraZeneca jab for maximum protection, says Department of Health Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks.
Ms Morgan-Wicks said the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) following a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine is much lower than the risk following a first dose.
“The UK has reported an estimated rate of TTS of 1.5 per million second doses, compared to a reported risk of 14.2 per million first doses in the UK,” she said.
Approximately 18,000 Tasmanians are due to get their second dose of AstraZeneca in community clinics in August and September, and around 60,000 people are due for their second doses in GP practices.
“One dose gives you a level of protection, but all of the clinical information both from the original trials and from the real world experience of over 50 million doses worldwide is that to ensure the highest level of protection you need to get both doses,” she said.
Tasmanian Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Dr Tim Jackson said people who have no difficulty with the first AstraZeneca dose, including those aged under 60, should be reassured that the second dose will be okay.
“At our clinic we’re fully booked for the next two months with people getting the second dose after the 12 week interval.”
“The first dose does provide some protection, but you don’t get that good protection from the first dose, especially that statistics show is needed with the delta variant,” he said.
Lindy Whitton and her husband Trevor were among those to receive their second AstraZeneca vaccine at the Moonah clinic on Tuesday.
“I saw it was my social responsibility to go out and get vaccinated,” she said
“I had some slight side effects to the first vaccine, but didn’t expect much more from the second vaccination.”
There have been reports of increased hesitancy around the AstraZeneca following the recent death of a 44-year-old Tasmanian man due to rare complications after taking his first dose of the vaccine.
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends AstraZeneca for those 60 years of age and over after previously recommending for those 50 years of age and above, advising the benefits of the vaccination outweigh the risks of TTS.
Those aged over 18 are able to receive the vaccination after consulting with their GP.
An advertising campaign was launched last week featuring 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame and former Test cricketer David Boon urging Tasmanians to keep their second dose appointments.
Tassie leads nation in vaccine rates but more can be done
Tasmania’s vaccine rollout is reaching new milestones with 24 thousand vaccines administered in a week equating to more than 3400 in a day, the Mercury can reveal.
The state is leading the nation when it comes to jabs in arms, with more than 46 per cent of those eligible receiving their first dose, compared to about 38 per cent nationally and more than 22 per cent have had their second dose, compared to about 17 per cent nationally.
Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said a total of 300,000 jabs had been administered in Tasmania as of Sunday and by the end of the week 100,000 Tasmanians will be fully vaccinated.
“While it took 12 weeks to get to 100,000 doses, but we are now working at more than double that pace, having delivered 300,000 doses in less than 22 weeks and we are accelerating.”
In August 26 pharmacies across the state will start offering AstraZeneca vaccines in areas with low GP coverage or low rates of vaccination.
“With community clinics ramping up, community pharmacies joining in and an increase in Pfizer available to GPs and vaccine supply increasing we are confident that every eligible Tasmanian will have the chance to get vaccinated in coming months,” Mr Rockliff said.
“New major clinics will open next week in Launceston and Devonport, joining the Hobart CBD clinic in significantly boosting our capacity.”.
Department of Health Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said they will be building on the momentum with increased supply coming on board in August.
“We are also looking for more staff to come and join the vaccination effort with enrolled nurses now being eligible to vaccinate in our community clinics,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.
“Apart from those people aged 40-59 years we continue to prioritise Tasmanians aged 16 years and above who have underlying medical conditions, aged care workers, disability support workers, those living with disability or mental illness, front line health care and other critical workers.”
She said there were lots of available appointments in the community clinics around the state including: Moonah, Hobart CBD, Devonport, Ulverstone, South Launceston, Launceston General Hospital and the Royal Hobart Hospital.
AMA Tasmania vice president John Saul said despite some issues with supply the response had been impressive.
“We have been faced with the worst health crisis in 60 years and we have had to adapt to things as they have changed,” he said.
“We’re seeing a well informed population presenting for vaccination, and strong co-operation between the state government and GP services,” Dr Saul.
Ms Morgan-Wicks the approach of taking the vaccine to the population by moving our community clinics around and also varying hours and days to match community need was working.
“We have been in direct contact with our priority sectors to make sure we could design special clinics to suit different priority groups and sectors, for example our ‘quiet’ clinics for NDIS participants, and our hospitality and tourism clinics for eligible participants,” she said.
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