DAILY BLOG: March 15: Schools to close as cruise ships have been banned from docking
A private school will close while cruise ships have been banned from docking in the state.
Tasmania
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KEY POINTS:
— The sixth case of coronavirus in Tasmania has been confirmed
— One of the seven people in Tasmania diagnosed with coronavirus has recovered
—Launceston private school Scotch Oakburn College has become the first Tasmanian school to close due to the coronavirus
— No more cruise ships will be allowed to dock in Tasmania until the end of June
— A GP and Labor candidate says Tasmania’s schools and universities need to be closed now
— Elective surgery could stall in Tasmania as hospitals look to increase capacity and ways to best to isolate patients as the coronavirus crisis grows.
— The final round of the Sheffield Shield has been called off
Important information for the public:
- Anyone who develops respiratory symptoms within 14 days of returning from overseas should self-quarantine and ring the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 or contact their GP. If you are experiencing extreme symptoms which require emergency treatment ring triple-0 or go to the emergency department.
- People can help stop the spread of respiratory illness by washing their hands regularly with soap and water and covering sneezes and coughs with a tissue or their elbow.
- It is important to remember that if you are unwell - do not attend work or school or as a visitor to other vulnerable settings such as aged care homes, hospitals, and seek medical advice as appropriate.
- The situation with coronavirus is changing regularly. People can stay up to date by visiting the Tasmanian Department of Health coronavirus website at http://www.health.tas.gov.au/coronavirus or the Australian Government Department of Health website at https://www.health.gov.au/.
- Anyone requiring more information about coronavirus should contact the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.
VIRUS SUFFERER CLEARED
ONE of the six people in Tasmania diagnosed with coronavirus has recovered, been cleared by health authorities and is out of isolation.
The virus hit Tasmania’s shores at the start of the month, with the first case identified on March 2.
The patient’s release from isolation comes as authorities confirm the most recent case — a 60-year-old woman diagnosed on Saturday — was the travel companion and close contact of one of the other infected people and had not been mixing in the community.
“She was already in isolation when she was confirmed positive. Her close contacts have been identified and contacted by PHS,” Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said.
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SCOTCH OAKBURN TO CLOSE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
SCOTCH Oakburn College students will be studying from home as of this week, as the Launceston private school becomes the state’s first school to close due to coronavirus.
In an email sent to parents today and marked “URGENT”, Principal Andy Muller said students would be allowed to make a single visit to the school tomorrow or Tuesday to pick up belongings, before commencing studies from home for a minimum of two weeks.
Mr Muller said the “extraordinary step” was being taken based on informed research and medical advice.
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NO MORE CRUISE SHIPS ALLOWED
NO more cruise ships will be allowed to dock in Tasmania until the end of June as the State Government steps up measures to protect Tasmanians from coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases climbs to six.
Premier Peter Gutwein said TasPorts had been told that after a small liner stops in Hobart today to refuel and stock up on provisions, no more cruise ships will be allowed to dock in Burnie, Hobart or Port Arthur.
The ban comes after Burnie was inundated with thousands of passengers from six ships which docked in the port over a busy fortnight.
A cruise ship which docked in Hobart on Saturday advised passengers to stay on board but some disembarked in fear they would be stuck on the liner indefinitely.
“While the cruise ship industry brings in $30 million of activity into the economy each year we could be faced with a situation where 2500 passengers want to disembark in Hobart and then decide they do not want to get back on a cruise ship,” Mr Gutwein said.
Mr Gutwein said flights into Tasmania would not be banned but the number of international passengers arriving from other places could be stemmed.
“We are looking at a range of measures including mandatory quarantine,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Australian border control already assesses those arriving in Australia on international flights.”
CALL TO CLOSE TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
TASMANIA’S schools and universities need to be closed now to stop the coronavirus spreading Labor candidate and GP Bastian Seidel says.
“From a medical point of view it is the right thing to do.” Dr Seidel said, as the government announced it was still waiting for advice on the issue.
”The only way to stop the virus spreading is to avoid mass gatherings. Isolation is the only answer,” Dr Seidel said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today schools should stay open at this stage.
But Dr Seidel said he was keeping his child out of kindergarten and understood why other Tasmanian parents had taken their children out of school.
“Schools and universities are no different to any other mass cultural, sporting or religious gathering,” he said.
His comments came as the Education Department announced the Southern Primary Schools Sports Association Athletics Carnivals had been cancelled.
ELECTIVE SURGERY TO BEAR VIRUS PAIN
ELECTIVE surgery could stall in Tasmania as hospitals look to increase capacity and ways to best to isolate patients as the coronavirus crisis grows.
Tasmania’s sixth coronavirus patient is in a stable condition in isolation in the Royal Hobart Hospital. The other five also remain in isolation and are listed as stable
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the woman, in her 60s, was a travel companion of another of Tasmania’s coronavirus cases.
“While the transmission occurred in Tasmania she was already identified as a close contact of another case,” Ms Courtney said. “All the cases are linked to people who have arrived in Tasmania and there has been no transmission in the community outside of these cases.”
SHEFFIELD SHIELD SEASON SHUT DOWN
TASMANIA’S last ditch effort to reach the Sheffield Shield final has disappeared after Cricket Australia called off the final round of competition scheduled to start this week.
The Tigers were due to meet Victoria at Junction Oval from Thursday but the governing body announced this morning it had cancelled the last three roster matches due to the coronavirus pandemic.
CA initially made the decision to block fans from attending the games last Friday, but have now made the call to end the season prematurely to limit travel.
After back to back home victories against Western Australia and ladder leader NSW, Tasmania had climbed from the bottom of the table to fourth, 6.24 points behind the second-placed Bushrangers.
The side held slim hopes of leapfrogging both Victoria and Queensland, needing to defeat the Bushrangers and pick up 0.25 more bonus points, as well as rely on South Australia denying the Bulls maximum points.
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SIXTH CASE OF CORONAVIRUS CONFIRMED
A SIXTH case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Tasmania.
Acting Director of Public Health Scott McKeown announced the state’s most recent diagnosis shortly before 10pm on Saturday.
He said the woman in her 60s is in a stable condition and is currently in isolation at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
“This latest case was identified as a close contact during the public health investigation of a previous Tasmanian case, who had recently travelled overseas,’’ he said.
PREMIER CONSIDERS ADVICE ON CRUISE SHIPS
“Public Health Services has identified and contacted the woman’s close contacts.
“These people will be required to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days and will receive daily follow up from PHS staff.”
A close contact is defined as someone who spends at least 15 minutes in close face-to-face contact with a positive case or is with them in an enclosed room for more than two hours.
Dr McKeown said the other five confirmed cases in Tasmania are stable and remain in isolation receiving medical care.
All people to date had travelled overseas before later testing positive to the virus.
The most recent diagnosis comes as a vast number of community events and sporting fixtures continue to be cancelled.
AUSTRALIA IS RUNNING OUT OF SUPPLIES TO TEST FOR THE CORONAVIRUS
The actions have been triggered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement on Friday that non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people should not go ahead.
Meanwhile, the immediate future of cruise ships visiting Tasmania is unclear after several cruise companies decided to suspend operations for 30 days because of coronavirus fears.
In Hobart on Saturday, the cruise ship Magnifica saw most passengers remain on board after they were told they would not be allowed back on if they disembarked.
However, another ship, the Sea Princess, allowed passengers to go about their activities freely. Premier Peter Gutwein on Saturday said he would “act in a heartbeat” if advised by public health authorities to close Tasmania’s borders.
Mr Gutwein said the Government was “well prepared for schools to close”, but had not been advised it was necessary at the moment.
“There’s quite a difference between 5000 people congregating for two to three hours at a football match as opposed to 20 or 30 children being in a classroom at different times during the course of the day,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Health Minister Sarah Courtney said there had been no evidence yet of community transmission in Tasmania.
“Of all five confirmed cases of coronavirus in Tasmania, they were all associated with international travel and do not indicate we have had community transmission here in Tasmania,” Ms Courtney said.
As of noon Saturday, 283 tests for coronavirus had been done in Tasmania.
The Government will announce an economic stimulus package this week, which Mr Gutwein said would aim to keep Tasmanians in work.
Public Health says the risk to Tasmanians from casual contact with a confirmed case is very low, with close contacts of confirmed cases being managed by the department.
Anyone who develops respiratory symptoms within 14 days of returning overseas should self-quarantine and call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.
People can stop the spread of illness by washing their hands regularly with soap and water and covering sneezes and coughs with a tissue or their elbow.
CASES SO FAR:
CASE 1
40-year-old man in Launceston
Confirmed on: March 2
Travelled from: Iran
Status: Stable, in hospital
CASE 2
20-year-old man in Hobart
Confirmed on: March 7
Travelled from: Nepal, via Singapore and Sydney
Status: Stable, in hospital
CASE 3
30-year-old woman in Hobart
Confirmed on: March 11
Travelled from: South America via Sydney
Status: Stable, in hospital
CASE 4
Woman in her 40s in Launceston
Confirmed on: March 13
Travelled from: Philippines
Status: Stable, isolated in self-contained accommodation
CASE 5
Man in his 60s in Hobart
Confirmed on: March 13
Travelled from: North America
Status: Stable, in hospital
CASE 6
Woman in her 60s in Hobart
Confirmed on: March 14
Close contact of another Tasmanian case who had travelled overseas
Status: Stable, in hospital
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