Daily blog, May 21: Tasmania records no new coronavirus cases for six days

No new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Tasmania for the sixth day in a row.

This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Hotel lobby challenges Premier to loosen reins
• REVEALED: Tassie’s road map out of COVID-19 restrictions
• Cash boost to help pay rent amid pandemic
• What went wrong? Experts offer their views

READ MORE:

• Everything we know about the cases of COVID-19 in Tasmania
• Where each case of coronavirus occurred in Tasmania
• What restrictions have eased this week

8.30pm: NO NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES FOR SIX DAYS

NO new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Tasmania for the sixth day in a row.

The state’s tally remain at 226, with 199 people now recovered.

There are no active cases in the state’s South, however one remains in the North and 13 in the North-West.

The last confirmed case was on May 15 when a Northern Tasmanian man tested positive for the virus.

Any Tasmanian with cold or flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose, or fever should contact their GP or call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange testing for coronavirus.

8.19pm: REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ACTED ON

ALL the recommendations made in a report on a deadly coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Tasmania’s North-West are now being acted upon, Health Minister Sarah Courtney says.

The interim report by state health officials into the COVID-19 cluster at the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie made 17 recommendations.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

5.25pm: MAN SHARES MESSAGES OF HOPE IN THE SAND

Mark Watterson has brightened locals’ days drawing positive messages in the sand every morning for two months.

The youth worker said he had always enjoyed making others happy.

“People are struggling at the moment,” he said.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

4.33pm: ‘THIS ISN’T OVER’: WHY MORE TESTING IS NEEDED

TASMANIA’S Public Health Director has expressed concern about the amount of testing needed in coming weeks to get a clear picture of the state’s coronavirus situation ahead of planned further easing of restrictions.

Dr Mark Veitch said it was encouraging that the state had confirmed just one new case of the virus in almost two weeks, but urged more Tasmanians to come forward to get tested.

“This isn’t over. We are in a risky phase,’’ he said.

“There’s still the potential for coronavirus to be introduced and circulate in the community.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

11.15am: CLEAR MEASURES FOR STAGE TWO RESTRICTION EASING

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has outlined the measures needed for Tasmania to move into stage two restriction easing.

Mr Gutwein said sticking to travel limits for National Park and boating excursions was paramount.

“We are now just on the fourth day of easing restrictions,” Mr Gutwein said.

The travel restrictions are important to keep vulnerable communities safe and avoid outbreaks, Mr Gutwein said.

“We know Tasmania has an older and more vulnerable population we also have coastal communities where in the main they support an older or more vulnerable population,” he said.

“That’s why we encourage people to stay in their municipality for boat launch.

“We don’t want to see an influx of different coastal communities around the state.

“It’s about ensuring social distancing occurs and ensuring that we can trace and track should the virus raise its head.”

Mr Gutwein said even stops for food, petrol, bait or at the local supermarket put others at risk.

“Again, it increases the interactions people are having, and as I said, the virus won’t travel by itself,” he said.

“Just for now we’re trying to limit the number of interactions people have, and keep people safe.”

Health Minister Sarah Courtney has said 16 of the 17 recommendations for the North West have been rolled out, and one is complete.

More to come …

11am: WATCH THE PREMIER’S DAILY UPDATE LIVE

10.30am: ICONIC RESTAURANT CLOSURE HERALDS GRIM FUTURE FOR INDUSTRY

THE shock closure of an acclaimed Hobart eatery has been blamed on a halt in tourist trade due to coronavirus.

Franklin Restaurant and Bar general manager Katrina Birchmeier said it was not viable to run the inner-city eatery without tourists coming to the state.

“It definitely is related to the impacts of the pandemic,” she said of the restaurant’s decision not to reopen, which was announced on social media on Tuesday.

“We’re quite reliant on interstate and overseas travellers and obviously they’re not coming to the state at the moment.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8.30am: DOMESTIC TOURISTS NOT AS FLUSH AS INTERNATIONALS

THE reopening of Hobart’s iconic waterfront markets is still months away, as stallholders reveal crippling income losses with virtual stalls attracting as little as two visitors.

The last Salamanca Market was held on March 14 with the event officially cancelled indefinitely on March 18.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said Hobart City Council “can’t put a date” on the iconic market’s relaunch, with the recovery roadmap’s stage three – due on July 13 – allowing only 100 people at a gathering.

“If that maximum was applied to the market, it would not even cover the stallholders,” she said.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

7am: HANSON: ‘DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT CHINA’

PAULINE Hanson has called for exporting baby formula to China to be made illegal, saying she doesn’t “give a damn” about the Asian nation and that the focus should be on Australian mothers and children.

The One Nation leader’s comments come after a Sydney woman was found to have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars by exporting stolen formula to China.

Lie Ke, 50, admitted to buying and shipping the formula after it had been stolen as part of a shoplifting ring across Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle in 2018 and 2018.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

6am: QUARANTINE DODGERS TO COP ON-THE-SPOT FINES

DESPITE coronavirus restrictions easing this week, police have reinforced they are still undertaking compliance checks.

Since March 25 when quarantine mandates came into place police have conducted 13,400 checks.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said police have had help from the SES, Tasmanian Fire Service and the Australian Defence Force.

All non-essential travellers arriving in Tasmania are still required to enter quarantine for 14 days, but the changes to restrictions mean Tasmanian residents returning to the state are now able to quarantine at their primary residence.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

5am: $10K GRANTS UP FOR GRABS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

STRUGGLING small business owners are being encouraged to apply for hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to help give them a much-needed cash injection.

Cloud-based software company Salesforce has teamed up with the Council of Small Business of Australia to roll out almost $700,000 in grants to dozens of businesses to help them overcome the pandemic.

Sixty-seven $10,000 grants are on offer to Australian small businesses and if they are successful in receiving the cash boost they can use the money any way they like.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

8.30pm, yesterday: FIFTH CONSECUTIVE DAY WITH NO NEW CASES

There have been no new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania.

Public Health Director Dr Mark Veitch said the state’s total remains at 226 cases.

Analysis of testing is continuing.

Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose, or fever should contact their GP or call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to arrange testing for coronavirus.