Premier lays down law on breaches

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has issued a dire warning to people thinking of sneaking into Tasmania by lying to health authorities and put in place tentative new bans.

Mr Gutwein has updated the state on the coronavirus pandemic at a media conference in Hobart.

“Ensure that you do the right thing,” he said.

“Tell the truth ... if you don’t tell the truth, we will catch you and we will throw the book at you.”

Mainlanders travelling to Tasmania will be forced to pay for their hotel quarantine and Queenslanders will also join New South Welshmen and Victorians with area specific bans in place.

Travellers heading interstate hoping to holiday in South Australia will have to skip flights via Melbourne Airport, as the South Australian government will treat travellers as Victorians and force them to quarantine.

Mr Gutwein has also heralded changes to Tasmania’s border restrictions to the ACT and Queensland, however this would be reviewed at a “dayby-day basis”.

He said those caught flouting restrictions faced fines of up to $16,800 and up to six months in prison.

Mr Gutwein said 11 interstate travellers had been turned around since July 9 after trying to enter the state from hot spots and three people had been charged with breaching quarantine.

“Our No.1 priority through this has been the health and safety of Tasmanians,” he said.

The Premier said almost 700 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours and the sole case of coronavirus in the state had been cleared.

And he extended Tasmania’s “utmost sympathies” to Victorians, saying “they are in the fight of their lives”.

“I would like to thank all Tasmanians for continuing to show great strength and resilience, however, the situation in Victoria is a vivid reminder that we cannot for one second become complacent,’’ he said.

Mr Gutwein announced last week that from August 7 there would be a quarantine-free “travel bubble” between Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory.

Entry restrictions still exist for travellers attempting to enter Western Australia.

And travel to or from South Australia via Melbourne has been ruled out by South Australian authorities.

This means direct flights were necessary, with three flights a week to Adelaide available out of Hobart.

Starting yesterday, essential travellers from Victoria and other designated hot spots will be subject to mandatory COVID-19 testing.

Freight and logistics operators must also undergo tests on arrival unless they have evidence of having been tested within seven days of their arrival in Tasmania.

Mr Gutwein said all Tasmanian and non-Tasmanian residents required to stay in government-designated hotel quarantine would do so at their own expense, except in cases of extreme hardship.