Peter Gutwein,Premier
Tomorrow, Tasmania will reopen our borders to the world, reconnecting us with family and friends interstate after what has been one of the toughest times in living memory.
The safety of Tasmanians has been our top priority from day one of the pandemic, and we have taken a cautious and responsible path to reopening.
We have one of the highest vaccination rates on the planet and my clear message to Tasmanians is – we are ready.
While other states opened their borders with 80 per cent of their eligible population vaccinated, we set a higher goal and importantly, we have made sure everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated.
While this pandemic isn’t over yet, our vaccination program has been very successful, and with more than 90 per cent of Tasmanians over 16 and nearly 90 per cent of Tasmanians over 12 now fully vaccinated, we are in a position where we can reopen safely, with appropriate protections in place.
For those who are planning on travelling to Tasmania tomorrow, please ensure you are abiding by the rules.
All travellers entering Tasmania will be required to complete a Tas-E-Travel pass, which is now available on the Tas-E-Travel website.
You must be fully vaccinated to come to Tasmania, if you’re over 12, and you must produce a negative COVID test before coming from a high-risk area.
There will be numerous checks to ensure travellers are very clear on the requirements, along with additional biosecurity staff at domestic airports, providing information to travellers on those requirements, as an extra layer of support.
All travellers will be required to carry proof of vaccination and/or their negative COVID test result with them, whether that’s a digital vaccination certificate and COVID-19 negative test result SMS message, or hard copy evidence.
And when arriving in Tasmania through our airports, all travellers will be required to scan their Tas-E-Travel pass at a scanning station on arrival, including Hobart, Launceston and Devonport airports.
The scanning stations at the airports will be manned by biosecurity staff, who will ensure everyone is scanned.
Regional airports will have hand-held devices for scanning and for people travelling on the TT-Line, your Tas-E-Travel will be assessed and you will be screened before boarding the vessel with further checks on arrival for people approved with conditions.
Anyone caught flouting our rules faces an on the spot fine of $1,557 and could be summonsed and charged with an offence resulting in up to six months jail or a $17,000 fine.
All the information you need is available at www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au
Tomorrow our borders will reopen, and we can look to the future with confidence knowing that we have one of the highest vaccination rates on the planet as we welcome back visitors, friends and loved ones.
