Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health
The Tasmanian Liberal Government's number one priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of all Tasmanians.
The rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program reaches a very important milestone tomorrow, with vaccinations set to start at the Launceston General Hospital and the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie. Both clinics expect to conduct approximately 1170 vaccinations each in the first week of operation.
Today I was very pleased to talk to staff here at the LGH, and see the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic set up and ready to go.
This is great news for our State and another important marker in our fight against the virus that has impacted everyone over this past year.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Program is progressing smoothly and from today, Tasmania's Pfizer vaccination supply into the state will increase.
Our aim is to have Tasmania's priority groups fully vaccinated by mid-April, and we remain on-track to meet that target.
All vaccinations as part of the LGH and NWRH Pfizer roll-out will be by appointment only, with people eligible to receive a vaccination as part of Phase 1A to be contacted by Public Health.
This has been a momentous task and I would like to thank all the incredible staff here at the LGH and at the NWRH who have been working tirelessly to have these new clinics ready to ensure the vaccine can be rolled out as quickly as possible.
Last week we also took delivery of our first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine, meaning we have been able to bring forward the start of the second phase of the rollout.
Phase 1B will include Tasmanians aged 70 and over; our remaining health care workers; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 55 and over; adults with underlying medical conditions; and critical and high-risk workers.
Our advice to Tasmanians in these categories is there is no need for you to do anything right now; public announcements will be made next week about how you will be able to book your appointments.
It's also important to know that your vaccination appointment will be free whether it's done at your GP, a GP respiratory clinic or a Government Community Clinic.
The vaccine will help us return to a more normal way of life, but it won't be a silver bullet. We need to continue our COVID safe practices such as ensuring our hand hygiene, physical distancing and check-in processes.
If you have even the slightest symptoms please do not hesitate to get a COVID test. To book a test please contact the Public Health hotline on 1800 671 738.
