Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health
The health, safety and wellbeing of Tasmanians is our highest priority as we continue to deal with COVID-19.
Progress is continuing on recommissioning the North West Regional Hospital with outpatients, readmissions and medical ward C recently reopening.
Other non-clinical areas will reopen tomorrow, marking the formal end of the full recommissioning of the NWRH.
This has been one of the biggest and most complex logistical exercises ever undertaken by our health staff, with deep cleaning and recommissioning an entire hospital within a single month.
As we welcome back staff across all areas, I thank them for their patience throughout this process. I also thank the dedicated teams at the Launceston General Hospital, Mersey Community Hospital, Royal Hobart Hospital and Ambulance Tasmania for their dedication in supporting patients from the North West during this time.
I can also advise that over the last week we have seen the delivery of additional surgical masks from the national stockpile and an independent supplier.
This means there are now more than 400,000 surgical and N95/P2 masks available within our health service, with millions more on order.
Further, we have also received a large quantity of eyewear that has been distributed throughout the regions and to Ambulance Tasmania.
This week we are expecting a further shipment of surgical masks and the new Staff Specialist Infectious Diseases for the NW region will commence shortly.
I want to assure all North West Tasmanians that we are committed to the highest standard of infection control protocols and ensuring all of our hospitals are safe for patients and staff.
