Uncertainty still surrounds inconclusive Southern coronavirus test

Health authorities are still puzzled by an inconclusive coronavirus test, which if positive, would be the first case in its area for several weeks.

IT IS still unknown whether there is a new coronavirus infection in Southern Tasmania.

Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said although he did not want to discuss individual cases, it was not yet known if the test announced on Tuesday in the state's South returned a positive or negative result.

There has not been a confirmed case of the virus in the state’s South for several weeks, Dr Veitch said.

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“Equivocal tests are a very rare event, and to date this is almost the only truly equivocal test we've had in about 10,000 tests,” he said.

“When we get an equivocal test we always want to take a very precautious approach to managing that person, and we would generally manage them as if they are a positive case until we get evidence that they're not.”

He said contact tracing had been undertaken for that person, with their close contacts all asked to quarantine.

“There will be further testing done on that person,” Dr Veitch said.