COVID-19 Update (22 Jul 2022)

Dear Colleagues

I write to provide you with a COVID-19 update, following National Cabinet on the weekend, the statements by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly and the Acting Premier.

Australia is experiencing a significant increase in cases of the new BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the COVID-19 Omicron strain. Both variants are highly transmissible, and indications suggest that cases will continue to rise in Australia over the coming month.

We are a highly vaccinated state, which does provide us a level of protection. However, we must continue to take personal responsibility in relation to our health. This week I came down with flu like symptoms, so I undertook a rapid antigen test (RAT) and worked from home. Over the week, my symptoms didn’t improve, so I continued to work from home and arranged to have a PCR test. While I am still COVID negative, on my return to work I will be choosing to wear a mask.

Practising COVID safe behaviours including keeping up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your age group or risk profile, washing your hands, wearing a mask, using hand sanitiser and staying home if you are unwell remain vital. While mask wearing is a personal responsibility, I highly encourage you to consider adopting this behaviour over the coming months.

As the Head of the State Service said in her message of 8 July, as we progress through the winter months, we encourage you to wear a mask when you are in an indoor public place, and anywhere you cannot practice social distancing. We must all also make anyone wearing a mask comfortable to do so, in any situation. In addition, if you have symptoms, stay home and get tested.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has widened its recommendations on second booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to now include those in the 50+ age group, and also encouraged second booster doses for 30–49 year olds. In the first week of the expanded rollout almost 560,000 doses have been administered Australia wide.

If you have not had a chance to read the Australian Health Protection Principles Committee’s COVID-19 winter update and ongoing health protection measures to support our community statement, I would encourage you to do so https://www.health.gov.au/news/ahppc-statement-on-covid-19-winter-update-and-ongoing-health-protection-measures-to-support-our-community.

I would also like to remind you that free flu vaccines are available from a pharmacy or your GP until 31 July.

All agencies are reviewing their work health and safety risk assessments (which includes the management of COVID-19) in the light of current circumstances. As part of this they will be consulting with their employees about any revised risk assessment and other COVID risk mitigations.

If our changing COVID-19 landscape is causing worry for you, please remember the EAP is there for all state servants. You can call and access confidential, free advice and counselling. Lifeline (13 11 14) or any other service that provides support and counselling are other options to seek support from.

All the latest information for Tasmanians relating to COVID-19 is available at https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/.

Best wishes

Craig Limkin
Acting Head of the State Service

Acting Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet