Daily blog for Monday, March 30, 2020. Latest rolling updates on the coronavirus pandemic
Three more cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Tasmania, bringing the state’s total confirmed cases to 69.
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8.30pm: STATE RECORDS THREE MORE CORONAVIRUS CASES
THREE new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Tasmania on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 69.
One of the new cases is a close contact of a known case, another recently arrived from overseas, while the third was a cruise ship passenger.
Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch said all three cases were women
“Two are from southern Tasmania and one is from the North-West,” he said.
Dr Veitch said Public Health Services continued to investigate two cases in the Devonport area to determine their source of infection. It is thought these may be the first cases of community transmission in the state.
To stay up to date visit the Department of Health coronavirus website: www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au
7.30pm: TASSIE MATES’ DRAMA-FILLED TRIP HOME
THE Israeli military came to the rescue of two Tasmanian travellers stranded in South America in a drama-filled story of escape amid the coronavirus crisis.
During the ordeal, Izaac Gardner and Gus Goodwolf, both 22, also hitchhiked in an animal transport truck and endured a tense eight-hour covert bus trip through Bolivia in darkness.
The Hobartians were on a seven-month cycling tour of the continent when the global spread of the deadly virus brought their adventure to an abrupt halt.
It left them in a desperate race against the clock to secure safe passage back to Australia, as Bolivia moved to introduced a nationwide lockdown.
READ THE FULL STORY OF THEIR ESCAPE HERE
7.10pm: GP CLINICS STILL OPEN FOR ‘EVERYDAY PROBLEMS’
TASMANIANS are being urged to continue making doctors’ appointments for “regular health issues” as reports increase of people leaving problems unaddressed due to coronavirus fears.
Dr John Kruimink said it was important to have “safe spaces” where people could continue to talk to a doctor and be physically assessed.
“We’re starting to get the feeling that people think we’re too busy to be dealing with normal, everyday problems,” he said.
“We want to make sure people are keeping on top of their regular health issues, because the reality is that COVID-19 probably isn’t going away next week, or even next month, and to indefinitely delay your general health has certainly got risks.
“We think it’s very important that people engage more with their doctor at the moment, not less.”
6.50pm: CAMPGROUND GROUP FACING LEGAL ACTION
A GROUP of 10 people will face legal action after entering a restricted area at an East Coast camp ground on Sunday.
It follows Tasmania Police conducting over 1300 compliance checks for COVID-19 restrictions between 6pm on March 25 and 3pm on Monday on people in quarantine across the state.
A number of non-compliance cases also remain under active investigation.
Police also conducted a number of checks of businesses and in public places across the state, including malls, shopping centres and beaches.
6.12pm: CORONAVIRUS SET TO SHUT DOWN VFL PLAN
CORONAVIRUS appears set to claim another victim in Tasmania’s VFL team.
AFL Tasmania says a return to the VFL is still on the table, despite the health and future of all state leagues to be unknown until after the passing of its own deadline.
Earlier this month, AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires said a decision on the state’s VFL re-entry must be made by May following the Tasmanian AFL Taskforce’s recommendation the Devils should not join the Victorian state league without a provisional AFL licence.
However, since then the coronavirus crisis has seen all state leagues, including the VFL and TSL, postponed until at least May 31, and even this date appears optimistic.
5.30pm: TASMANIANS ORDERED TO STAY AT HOME
GATHERINGS of more than two people have been banned from midnight on Monday night and Tasmanians have been ordered to stay at home for the next four weeks or face arrest and heavy fines.
The new rules were intended to avoid a “full lockdown” due to the coronavirus, Premier Peter Gutwein said.
The only exceptions will be for people going out to buy essential supplies, going to school or work, or to exercise or check on neighbours or elderly relatives or members of the same household.
4.25pm: PM ANNOUNCES EXTRAORDINARY $130B JOBS PACKAGE
Workers will be kept in their jobs with fortnightly $1500 government-funded payments in an extraordinary $130 billion bid to keep Australia’s economy afloat.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new “JobKeeper” payment would support as many as six million Australians over the next six months.
The scheme will provide a flat payment to workers — rather than proportional wage subsidies for people on different incomes.
4pm: FIRST AIR PASSENGERS PLACED IN QUARANTINE
THE first group of airline passengers to be detained in government-operated quarantine facilities have been placed in isolation in a Hobart hotel.
Passengers aboard an 11.55am Jetstar flight from Melbourne were loaded onto two buses after arriving.
The flight was the first to arrive in the capital since the State Government imposed tough new restrictions on non-essential arriving passengers.
The passengers were taken to the nearby Travelodge hotel at Cambridge under police guard.
3.20pm: CHILDCARE SECTOR FEARS INDUSTRY COLLAPSE
TASMANIA’S childcare sector is “bleeding” and government support is urgently needed to rescue it in the wake of unprecedented impacts from the coronavirus, state officials say.
Centres are facing downturns of up to 90 per cent due to job losses and government advice for people to stay home, Early Childhood Australia Tasmanian president Ros Cornish said.
“The sector is bleeding and we need support, we need it now,” she told the Mercury.
“Every day we stay open is another day viability is impacted because of the downturn and the ability to reopen later on when the crisis is over is being compromised.
“We need urgent help. Some of our members said they can’t pay wage bills this week and they’ll have to close.
10am: WATCH THE PREMIER DELIVER HIS DAILY BRIEFING HERE
Monday, 9.15am: STATE RECORDS FIRST DEATH FROM CORONAVIRUS
Tasmania has recorded its first death from coronavirus.
Premier Peter Gutwein revealed the death at his morning media briefing today.
He said federal restrictions which limited gatherings to two people would be enforced in Tasmania from midnight tonight.
These are tough measures but they are done with Tasmanian’s health, wellbeing and safety as our top priority,” he said.
Mr Gutwein said there were seven people currently in government-run quarantine detention.
8.15pm: FOUR NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES CONFIRMED
FOUR new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Tasmania on Sunday, bringing the number of cases diagnosed in the state to 66.
Three cases were associated with the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas and one with Voyager of the Seas. All of these cases were already in self quarantine.
7.20pm: UTAS CUTS NON-SALARY EXPENDITURE, INCREASES LEAVE
VICE-Chancellor Rufus Black says the University of Tasmania is “prioritising staff”, announcing an additional two weeks of coronavirus leave and non-salary expenditure cuts.
The announcement came as UTAS shifts its operations online.
Prof Black said the move would protect and support the “very talented workforce” at UTAS through the pandemic.
6pm: STEP TOWARDS ‘FORTRESS TASMANIA’
FROM midnight Sunday, Australia’s toughest border security measures will come into place.
All non-essential travellers into the state by air or port, including Tasmanians, will now go into one of the state’s mandatory isolation centres.
Premier Peter Gutwein made no apologies for ensuring our island home would be our fortress.
3pm: FREE TRAVEL IN BID TO BOOST BUS SAFETY
METRO Tasmania is offering free travel for two weeks in a bid to reduce cash transactions and increase staff and passenger safety.
Acting CEO Darren Carey said the two-week window – running until April 10 – would allow time for passengers to obtain a Greencard for safer contactless payment.
12.55pm: LOCK THE STATE DOWN, SCIENTISTS WARN
BIOSTATISTICIANS have warned that Tasmania, with its current rate of COVID-19 infection growth, could reach 500 cases as soon as April and run out of intensive care bed capacity once that number hit 1000.
Megan Higgie and Ben Phillips said Tasmania was currently doubling its COVID-19 cases every 3.4 days, and could have between 215 and 581 coronavirus cases by April 6.
With only 50 ICU beds available for a ballpark 5 per cent of infected people who become critically ill with the virus, Dr Higgie warned Tasmania could soon reach peak hospital capacity once the state had 1000 cases.
12.40pm: STATE SET FOR INCREASED LOCKDOWN MEASURES
FURTHER lockdown measures in Tasmania are imminent, with Premier Peter Gutwein intending to take steps to stay in line with measures being taken in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
More than 1000 quarantine compliance checks have been completed, with about 98 per cent of people found to be complying. However there is a possibility some people may be charged, with interviews underway.
Mr Gutwein again urged Tasmanians to stay at home, after many people headed out of their suburbs and to the beach on Saturday.
“Travelling between your home and your shack increases the risk in these communities,” he said.
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said investigations were continuing into two of the state’s positive cases in the Devonport area, including the healthcare worker from the Mersey Community Hospital.
People living in the area are urged to strictly follow social distancing guidelines and to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.
About 1800 tests have been completed in the state.
12pm: PREMIER’S LIVE DAILY BRIEFING
Watch Premier Peter Gutwein and Health Minister Sarah Courtney deliver their daily coronavirus briefing:
11.30am: BUSINESSES WORKING OUT NEW BATTLE PLANS
LIFE as a small business operator can be tough at the best of times.
But local business owners in the retail, hospitality, food, fitness and arts industries are now being threatened by a global health crisis.
Hobart fitness instructor Hannah McDonald is among the savvy business owners adapting and evolving to meet the challenges of COVID-19.
Ms McDonald – who runs Burn Theory, a boxing and barre studio in Mathers Lane in the Hobart CBD – has devised what she’s calling the “corona battle plan”.
Concerned that members were struggling to make it to classes due to working from home and self-isolation, she came up with a plan to bring her studio to Tassie living rooms.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
10.20am: PM TO UNVEIL $1.1 BILLION MENTAL HEALTH PACKAGE
AUSTRALIANS will be able to access vital medical and mental health services in their own home using their telephone, as part of a billion dollar boost to save lives.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today unveil a $1.1 billion package, with hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to mental health and domestic violence support services as well as frontline charities.
The bulk of the money — $669 million — will fund Medicare-subsidised telehealth services for all Australians for six months, freeing up GP waiting rooms and hospitals and allowing the sick to access care.
To tackle the second wave of the coronavirus, Australians suffering mental health concerns or domestic violence will also have greater access to support services.
9am: AUSSIE HOSPITALS TO SHUT
AUSTRALIAN private and Catholic hospitals are about to be closed and their staff stood down, putting 100,000 workers out of a job, just as the hospital system is about to buckle under the weight of coronavirus admissions.
The catastrophe is the result of a failure of state and federal governments to come up with a financial solution for the hospitals after they banned non-elective surgery at a national cabinet meeting earlier this week.
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