Tassie COVID hotline ‘not coping’ with rush
The Tasmanian Premier has delivered an update on the states’ borders and testing capabilities in the wake of an outbreak in Queensland. WATCH HERE >>
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Changes to Tasmania’s COVID testing clinics and the public health hotline will be brought in today after record day of testing yesterday.
Sparked by an outbreak in Queensland, 1477 Tasmanians rushed to get tested yesterday – the highest daily testing numbers since April 29, 2020.
Department of Health Secretary Katherine Morgan-Wicks said more staff had been put on to attend the public health hotline as well as the implementation of a new Kingston testing clinic.
All testing clinics in Hobart, Launceston and Kingston will require bookings from today.
Premier Peter Gutwein described the Queensland outbreak as a “stark reminder why we cannot be complacent” even as the vaccine rollout continues.
There are currently 76 high risk venues in Queensland and 12 in northern New South Wales.
High risk local government areas in Queensland include Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands.
The premier confirmed that those travelling in the area are still able to transit through affected LGAs under certain conditions.
Director of Public health Dr Veitch said the increased testing rate experiences yesterday was “helpful”.
“That’s really important information that gives us a sense of where the risk is,” he said.
Dr Veitch asked said people currently wishing to travel too and from Queensland or northern NSW should assess the risk accordingly.
COVID TESTING CHAOS - TUESDAY MARCH 30
A HOBART man says he called Tasmania’s Public Health Hotline to organise a test more than 120 times on Tuesday before finally getting through, but he is still waiting to be booked in.
Peter Jones and his wife Marilyn, of Battery Point, had travelled on Sunday from Brisbane, which is now defined as a COVID hotspot.
They received a text message on Monday night instructing them to isolate and call the hotline to arrange to be tested.
The Tasmanian hotline was swamped throughout Tuesday amid Queensland’s worsening virus outbreak, and as of Tuesday evening Mr Jones was still waiting for a return call to book in a time for the swab.
People attending no-booking sites in Launceston and Burnie faced hours-long waits but Hobart’s drive-in booking-only COVID testing site in Melville St was photographed empty by the Mercury on Tuesday morning.
Mr Jones said that was the most frustrating part, describing the circumstances as “galling”.
“When you see what’s going on in Launceston and then there’s nothing happening (at Melville St),’’ he said.
Mr Jones said the couple ran a business in Brisbane and understood the fluid nature of how COVID can quickly change circumstances.
“We understand the rules and regulations, but when you try and do the right thing, including preparing yourself and ordering food to come in, then to have it handled so haphazardly, is frustrating in the extreme,’’ he said.
Tasmania State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said there had been “significant demand” for COVID-19 testing in Tasmania in the wake of the Queensland outbreaks.
“Tasmania is on track to perform a record number of tests, with more than 1400 tests expected to be carried out today,” she said on Tuesday.
“I thank everyone for their patience and apologise for the delays. I want to assure everyone who needs to get a COVID-19 test that they will be tested, and they should remain isolated until that occurs.”
Ms Morgan-Wicks said extra staff had been deployed to the Public Health Hotline and an additional site had been opened today to help manage call volume.
The hotline will stay open to 9pm Tuesday and Wednesday nights to enable more people to book a test.
“In terms of testing, additional testing capacity has been mobilised to the North-West, Launceston and Hobart testing clinics,” she said.
“An additional clinic is being stood up in Kingston tomorrow. People will need to call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to book an appointment.”
From Wednesday, people will need to book an appointment to attend the Launceston testing clinic rather than simply drive up.
“This change has been made to speed up the testing procedure and reduce traffic congestion at the site,” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.
“Requiring people to book avoids delays at the clinic by having people give health authorities the necessary information when they book rather than at the clinic. People will need to call 1800 671 738 to book an appointment.
“I can assure people that our testing staff and our hotline staff are doing everything they can to ensure everyone who requires a test gets one as quickly as possible.”
2.20PM TUESDAY:
HUNDREDS of Tasmanians have been queuing for hours at the no-appointment drive-through COVID testing clinics after yesterday’s snap border lockdown.
Cars snaked up Marine Terrace, Burnie as the normally quiet site struggled to keep up with the demand for swabs after five Queensland local government areas were declared high risk and more cases of community transmission were announced.
Brisbane tourists Sue and John Atkinson said they didn’t mind waiting because the were in holiday mode.
The couple arrived in Tasmania on Saturday before the Queensland capital was declared a conoravirus high-risk area.
Elsewhere in the north, long queues for the non-booking drive-through COVID testing site in Launceston.
Emily Mauldon arrived at the testing site before it opened and after waiting more than three hours had not yet been tested.
She was seeking the test after travelling interstate.
“It’s important we keep the screening rates up, but the wait has been frustrating,” she said.
Another person in line reported an almost three hour wait.
The person waiting in line when asked how long they had been waiting at 11am said they had been there since 8.30am.
Traffic heading into the site is extensive requiring Tasmania Police to assist with directing traffic.
It comes following a spate of new cases in Queensland including a further eight community cases confirmed today.
Meanwhile a booking only clinic in Hobart has been observed completely empty.
Tassie COVID hotline ‘not coping’ with rush – Tuesday March 30
TASMANIA’S COVID-19 hotline is not coping with the flood of calls coming in from locals who have returned from Queensland and visitors who were already here who now need to be tested.
Among those caught up in the dilemma is Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Michael Bailey who is quarantining in his flat in Hobart after returning from Brisbane.
Despite numerous calls to the hotline Mr Bailey – and it appears many others – has not been able to get through to book a test he has been instructed to take.
He now wants to know if he can legally leave isolation to get a test at a drive-through facility
Mr Bailey was in a “sporting bubble” in Queensland when the Greater Brisbane area experienced another outbreak. Brisbane is now hours into a snap three-day lockdown and travellers from that city and four other high-risk areas are not permitted to come into Tasmania without going into mandatory hotel quarantine.
Mr Bailey was working as an official at the national track titles in Brisbane but is now back in Tasmania.
“I was instructed to self-isolate and to organise a test as soon as possible,” Mr Bailey said.
“I have been in a high risk area and told to get tested within 24 hours but I simply cannot get through.”
Another Tasmanian trying to get a test in Hobart said she had dialled more than 40 times without success.
“The line is constantly clogged since the Queensland outbreak and one wonders if this becomes worse if people will have the necessary patience to persist.”
Mr Bailey said he wants to know whether he is legally permitted to drive himself to a testing station to be swabbed and then return back to his flat.
“The police will check if I am home, and rightly so, so I just don’t know if I am allowed to leave to get the required test because I cannot get through to the hotline to book,” he said.
When you dial you either get a call failed, a message saying the hotline is dealing with an especially high level of calls or you are put in the queue for half and hour and then the lines drops out.”
Premier Peter Gutwein urged patience for those currently trying to access the hotline as increased staffing rolls out.
“What I would say to people is, please be patient. We’re putting on more staff, we will get to you,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Importantly, if you’re concerned, please self-isolate and make sure that you wait until you contact the Public Health hotline and speak to one of the providers on there.
“We’re working through this and we’ll ensure that we manage it appropriately.”
A Tasmanian Health Service spokesman confirmed this morning the hotline had been receiving a significant spike in calls since the Queensland situation unfolded.
Tasmania shuts the borders to Queensland hot spots – Monday, March 29
The state government has classified five Queensland local government areas high risk with anyone arriving from those areas to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival in Tasmania.
“This decision has been made in response to the current outbreak in Brisbane where four new locally acquired cases were announced today, and the associated declaration of a three-day lockdown of this area by Queensland,” the department said.
The LGAs are: Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands.
Anyone who has spent time in any of these LGAs in the past 14 days will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless exempted as an Essential Traveller.
Any affected travellers, including returning Tasmanians, will need to apply to the Deputy State Controller to enter the state via the G2G PASS system.
If allowed to enter they will be required to quarantine for 14 days at suitable premises. Anyone without suitable premises will be required to enter government quarantine, and fees may apply.
A flight from Brisbane landed in Hobart early this afternoon, with people aboard being in the air as decisions regarding the outbreak in Brisbane were being made.
“Passengers who had not been in the Greater Brisbane area or any of the specific declared hot spots are under no additional conditions,” the department stated.
“Anyone aboard that flight who had been in the Greater Brisbane area will be required to isolate until they return a negative test for COVID-19 within 72 hours and are symptom-free. If there are any passenger who were at a hot spot premises, they will be required to quarantine.”
Anyone who is already in Tasmania and has been in the Greater Brisbane area on or since 20 March is being advised by SMS to self-isolate and contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange testing within 72 hours.
Anyone who has visited any of the premises declared as high-risk premises in Greater Brisbane or southeast Queensland will be required to quarantine for 14 days at suitable premises.
EARLIER:
This morning, there are two Queenslanders in hotel quarantine in Tasmania and two in home quarantine.
“Effective immediately anyone from Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands must go into quarantine if they arrive in Tasmania,” Premier Peter Gutwein announced this morning.
The rules will be in place for the next three days.
Tasmanians returning home from those areas must also go into quarantine.
Whether that is in a government facility or at home had not yet been decided.
The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the closure of schools and a broader three-day lockdown for Brisbane earlier this morning.
The lockdown comes into effect at 5pm today in Greater Brisbane after 10 new COVID-19 cases were recorded overnight.
Ms Palaszczuk this morning said the new cases included six cases acquired overseas and four cases via community transmission.
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