‘Calm’ response keeping Covid numbers down: Ferguson

Leaders believe the public response to the reopening of the state’s borders was a large part of the reason infection numbers were lower than early predictions.

TASMANIANS’ calm response to the reopening of borders to interstate travel was partly responsible for helping the rates of Covid-19 infections defy predictions, a government minister says.

Releasing an update to Covid case numbers on Monday, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said keeping calm and following advice had kept the number of cases far below predictions.

The state opened its borders on December 15 and has had 32,200 Covid-19 cases reported since.

“I think very clearly, it’s because Tasmanians have responded to the expert advice,” Mr Ferguson said.

“They haven’t gone into a panic, as some of our political opponents wanted them to, they’ve been measured, they’ve been calm, they’ve been responsive to the vaccination requests.

“I think people are caring for each other and I hope to believe that that’s a measure of the character of Tasmanians, that we care for each other, and we’ve got a pragmatism.

Infrastructure minister Michael Ferguson. Picture: Kenji Sato

“We want to get out there and get it done and just look at how well Tasmania is travelling compared to many other places around the world.

“We’re doing very well. I think it’s a great partnership between the government listening to experts with the Tasmanian community.”

There was another 408 cases reported in Tasmania on Sunday, 519 people were released from isolation. There are presently 3081 active cases, Mr Ferguson said.

“I’m also advised that there are currently 12 people in hospital with Covid, eight of those people are actually in hospital because of their Covid symptoms and I’m advised that one person is being cared for in the ICU.”

‘Severe financial pressure’: call for more Covid support for workers

The state government’s business support grants do not sufficiently compensate workers who have lost hours and income as a result of workplace Covid outbreaks, Labor says.

According to Opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Sarah Lovell, the grants currently on offer “do not adequately recognise the stress workers faced” amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes after the state recorded 371 new Covid cases on Sunday. Ten people are being treated in hospital with the virus, with one in intensive care.

There are 3189 active cases in the state.

Labor MLC Sarah Lovell.

Tasmanians who test positive for Covid or are deemed a close contact of a positive case and consequently lose income or earnings due to having to isolate are eligible to receive a Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment from the Commonwealth government worth up to $750.

Meanwhile, the state government provides Pandemic Isolation Assistance Grants worth $750, which are available to those who can’t access the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment. There are also $250 payments to help cover lost income or earnings for people who have to isolate while waiting for the results of a PCR test.

But Ms Lovell said the support measures were inadequate and should be increased.

“Labor has listened to feedback from across the state and it’s clear more must be done to support workers with many businesses being forced to shut as a result of outbreaks and staff losing income,” she said.

“We have also heard from businesses under severe financial pressure who are having difficulty maintaining employment levels.”

Ms Lovell said businesses eligible for Covid support grants should also be able to apply for a worker support grant equal to 20 per cent of their payroll for the month of February and worth up to a maximum of $5000 per week.

Labor also wants to see the PCR test payment upped, the introduction of additional support payments, and the provision of free rapid antigen tests to workers so that they can return to work as soon as possible.

Small Business Minister Jane Howlett said the Gutwein government had been “completely supportive of small businesses throughout this pandemic”.

Small Business Minister Jane Howlett.

“We’ve listened to businesses – we have doubled the support available,” she said. “And we have grants of up to $1000 available for those workers.”

“Throughout this pandemic the government has provided more than $160m into the bank accounts of those small businesses who need it.”

Ms Howlett said the government had received 600 applications for support through the first round of the Covid-19 Business Impact Support Program, with a total of $1.4m provided to the successful applicants.

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