COVID-19 Update (16 Jul 2021)

Dear Colleagues,

I write to you today regarding the COVID-19 situation across the nation and the implications for Tasmania, particularly those people who have recently returned from Victoria. We only need to look at how quickly this latest outbreak has spread to realise the risk COVID-19, particularly the Delta variant, poses to everyone. Today the Premier has announced that:

• Anyone in Tasmania who has been in Victoria since 8 July 2021 must wear a mask outside of their home from midnight tonight.  This is expected to be in place until midnight 20 July 2021, however this will be reviewed by Public Health Services closer to this time.
• This group of people must also limit their movements outside of their home, avoid high-risk settings including hospitals and aged care residences and limit unnecessary visitors to their home.

Tasmanian State Servants who have arrived back from Victoria since the 8 July and who are not currently subject to a quarantine requirement, should adhere to the above and it is advisable that you contact your manager to enable you to work from home or to make other arrangements, until Public Health Services removes these restrictions.

We understand these restrictions will affect approximately 14,000 Tasmanians who have returned from Victoria since 8 July 2021. Of these, it is believed a small number will be identified as close contacts of cases in Victoria. As a result, there is the possibility that broader restrictions may need to be introduced. The Department of Education is working through the impact to students and teachers returning to schools next week.

It is important that the community is provided with up to date information based on the advice of medical experts.

Everyone in Tasmania will have the opportunity to get a free COVID-19 vaccine this year. Getting the vaccine when it is available to you will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 as well as enable us all to live our everyday lives more freely.

We all continue to have a key role to play in being COVID safe. While the vaccine rollout is an incredibly important measure in our response, it does not replace the suite of things we all need to continue to do for the safety of ourselves and others:

• Stay at least 1.5 metres away from others;
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water;
• Stay at home if you are unwell;
• Get tested for COVID-19 if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms; and
• Be aware of, and follow, current gathering, business and travel restrictions.

The Acting Director of Public Health, Dr Scott McKeown, today urged all Tasmanians to have a COVID 19 Kit ready to use for their household members - consisting of masks, tissues, hand sanitiser and for all mobile phones, the Check in TAS App.

For further details on the latest news and statistics about the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Tasmania please visit http://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/vaccine

Yours sincerely