Peter Gutwein,Premier
Our number one priority remains the health and safety of Tasmanians and as we continue to roll out our vaccination program, the recent cases interstate have made it clear the COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet.
As of today, more than one third of Tasmanians 16 years and over have had at least one dose of the vaccine, with forward bookings in State clinics for June and July of over 56,000 people, and appointments are still available.
This is a fantastic effort and I thank everyone who has already rolled up their sleeve, and encourage those who haven’t to commit to an appointment in coming weeks.
The Australian Government has recommended, based on advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, that the Pfizer vaccine is now the preferred vaccine for people aged 50 to 59 years old.
For Tasmania, this means that if you are aged between 50 and 59 years old, and have not yet had a first dose of the vaccine, it is recommended that you book in for your first dose with a Pfizer Clinic from today.
For those who have already received their first dose of AstraZeneca, the expert advice is that you should continue to have your second dose of AstraZeneca.
Having received my first dose in April, I will be having my second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in a few weeks’ time, and encourage everyone eligible to do the same to increase your protection against the severe consequences of COVID-19.
The vaccine remains one of the most effective ways to keep yourself and your family safe, and the situation interstate in recent weeks has demonstrated how important it is, and shown the threat of COVID-19 remains.
Travel restrictions in Melbourne will remain in place until at least next week with the situation to be reviewed tomorrow, while a number of sites in NSW have now been declared as high-risk as that state continues to respond to a small number of COVID-19 cases.
These premises are listed on the coronavirus website, and additional premises continue to be added, so we continue to ask anyone who has been in NSW since 11 June and is now in Tasmania to visit coronavirus.tas.gov.au and check regularly.
Public Health will continue to monitor the evolving situation as it develops and we won’t hesitate to take further action if it’s required.
