Peter Gutwein,Premier
The Tasmanian Government is continuing to act quickly and responsibly as we respond to COVID-19 outbreaks interstate, with the health and safety of Tasmanians our top priority at all times.
We are closely monitoring the situation, and the speed of this latest outbreak has made it clear this is not over, and the risks remain very real.
Victoria has now been designated as high-risk, and anyone, whether a Tasmanian or non-Tasmanian resident, who has been in Victoria on or since July 8 will not be able to enter Tasmania unless approved as an Essential Traveller.
Additionally, on the advice of Public Health, from 11.59pm tonight anyone who has been in Victoria since 8 July will be required to wear a mask when in public or when in crowded settings, and we ask they also avoid large gatherings.
These new rules are now available on the coronavirus.tas.gov.au website, and I urge anyone who has been in Victoria recently to go online and check the new requirements as soon as possible.
Our current border restrictions with NSW remain in place, and a number of high-risk locations also remain in place with Queensland and South Australia.
We continue to ask anyone who has recently travelled to regularly check the coronavirus website for up to date information as the list of high risk premises changes frequently.
Pleasingly, at this stage there remains no evidence of community transmission in Tasmania from the traveller who tested positive to COVID-19 after they had left, with 2,295 tests carried out since Tuesday – a fantastic effort.
However, we need several more days of monitoring and checking to give us certainty, so please remain vigilant and get tested if you develop even the mildest cold or flu symptoms.
Importantly, Tasmanians continue to hear the call to get vaccinated, with over 42 per cent of Tasmanians now having received one dose, and almost 18 per cent fully vaccinated.
But we must keep going, and to encourage Tasmanians to roll up their sleeves for vaccination, a new ad campaign will be launched encouraging people to continue the momentum and get vaccinated.
The ad campaign will feature Tasmanian personalities, with the first to air early next week and featuring Cricket Australia Hall of Fame and much-loved Tasmanian David Boon.
Our vaccination program remains our strongest safeguard to help protect ourselves, our loved ones and the community, and this campaign will reinforce what already know – Don't hesitate. Vaccinate.
