Peter Gutwein,Premier
Southern Tasmania will enter a snap three-day lockdown from 6pm tonight, to avoid an outbreak of COVID-19 and to protect the health and safety of Tasmanians.
This follows escalating numbers of close contacts associated with the COVID positive man from NSW who absconded from hotel quarantine. Unfortunately, the non-disclosure and inconsistency of information provided, has lead to serious concerns there are other touch points in the community where this individual has been.
A further breach of home quarantine by a primary contact is also concerning. That person has been fined and is also now in hotel quarantine under security guard.
We do not want to end up in a situation like Victoria or NSW, and so I ask Tasmanians in the 12 LGAs of southern Tasmania to please stay home for three days unless:
- Shopping for urgent household items within 5km of home (one person per household)
- Attending medical or health care appointments (including COVID-19 testing or vaccinations)
- Exercising once per day outdoors within 5km of home for up to two hours
- Caring for a vulnerable person, or
- Going to work if a permitted worker, or to go to school if the child of a permitted worker, or if the child cannot be supported to learn at home.
Facemasks must also be worn outside the home by people aged 12 years and older (unless they are still at primary school or have a medical reason).
To understand what this snap lockdown means for you, your family and your business, I urge everyone to go online to www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au, to ensure you are doing the right thing.
Tasmania Police will be establishing roadblocks and undertaking compliance activities during this period, with penalties to apply if people are found to be deliberately not complying.
I do want to stress to Tasmanians affected by the mandatory stay at home orders that there is support available through the $1,500 Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (for people who can’t earn an income because they must self-isolate, quarantine or care for someone who has COVID-19).
There is also the Pandemic Isolation assistance grants of $250 per adult, $125 per child (capped at $1,000 per household), for those whose income is affected by government directed quarantine and isolation.
