Labor calls for interstate travellers to self-isolate to contain coronavirus threat

Labor wants the Government to impose immediate two-week isolation periods for all people returning to Tasmania from interstate to contain the threat of coronavirus.

LABOR wants the Government to impose immediate two-week isolation periods for all people returning to Tasmania from interstate to contain the threat of coronavirus.

The call has been backed by business and community leaders as well as doctors, who took out a full-page advertisement in today’s Mercury (page 34) encouraging the Government to act.

The community-backed ad in today’s (March 18, 2020) edition of the Mercury.

As the number of students turning up at school fell and businesses sent workers home yesterday, Opposition Leader Rebecca White said the Government needed to take faster and more decisive action on the threat.

Premier Peter Gutwein says he will consider any necessary measure but said he was being guided by the advice of the state’s top medical experts.

“Public health experts tell us that window of opportunity is rapidly closing,” Ms White said in response to the Government’s release of its stimulus package yesterday.

“I implore the Premier and other members of the chamber to please realise that the best way we can support business in the economy is by tackling this as a pandemic, flattening the curve, learning from the mistakes of other jurisdictions, because right now this has us tracking on the same trajectory as Italy and that is unacceptable,” Ms White said, holding up a chart showing the increase in cases in Australia over time.

“We’re supporting and encouraging the Government to take swift action, what we know from other jurisdictions is that the biggest lesson we can learn about the impact on the economy is failing to contain the virus when we can.

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“That will have the biggest and most detrimental impact on the economy, irrespective of any stimulus package.”

Ms White said time was running out to stop a sharp rise in cases.

“We are in an island, we have the capacity to protect the community of Tasmania because we can do different things at our borders compared to other states,” she said.

“Even the Northern Territory today has announced measures around how it’s managing state borders. We have a population that’s generally older ... we’ve got a health system that is at capacity.

“We must be vigilant in our response here and take this seriously – our health system will not be able to cope if we have presentations of the type we’re seeing in other states.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor agreed with the calls for a swifter response. Her party called for tougher state border controls at the weekend.

“We are talking here about a global pandemic and a matter of life and death and we also want to see the Premier announce good planning measures and stronger measures to keep people safe.

“We want to hear what is the plan to protect vulnerable people in our community, people living with a disability independently in the community, the elderly, living alone, children in the child safety system.

“There’s a whole lot of critical planning that needs to take place, and it needs to take place with absolute urgency.”