Ready for action

… but the risk is low, says expert

THE Government has escalated its coronavirus response to Level 2, but maintains the risk to Tasmanians is low.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said advice to bump up the local response came from senior health officials and was a “precautionary and proactive approach”.

“What this will see in practical terms is further support for the Department of Health,” she said.

“The Department of Health will stand up an emergency coordination centre that will mean that we can have more resourcing focused on our planning across the entire health system including our hospitals and ambulance Tasmania.

“This is a prudent approach because we are seeing more global pressure in regards to the coronavirus and we are also seeing person-to-person contact in other jurisdictions in Australia.”

The state’s first mobile coronavirus assessment clinic was opened in Launceston on Thursday and more clinics are expected to open across the state in coming weeks.

Infectious diseases specialist Katie Flanagan, who is taking the clinical lead on the local coronavirus response, said: “The thing to do is stay calm.

“The risks at the moment are extremely low.

“We just have one single case in Tasmania, there’s no suggestion that he has passed this on to anybody else at all and we have done some very thorough screening and quarantining of people to make sure that that’s the case.”

A total of 82 tests for coronavirus had been carried out in Tasmania as of yesterday afternoon.

Members of the public concerned about recent travel should call the public health hotline (1800 671 738) to get advice on whether they need screening.

Professor Flanagan said medical staff did not want people turning up at the assessment clinics thinking they are at risk.

“If you do come here we will obviously go through the history and decide whether there is any indication to test you,” she said.

“We won’t be testing people if they don’t actually need to be tested and don’t have a significant travel history.”

Travellers are asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time they left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread and a level three travel health notice.

Those countries currently include China, Iran, Italy and South Korea.

“Just stay calm. Life just goes on as normal and that includes in this hospital,” Prof Flanagan said.

She said 80 per cent of confirmed cases present mild flulike symptoms, while up to 20 per cent may require hospital treatment.

She said elderly people were at highest risk from the virus, while children, babies and neonates were not particularly vulnerable.

“Pregnant women as well don’t seem to be particularly vulnerable,” she said.

“Most healthy adults will just have a mild self-limiting illness if they actually get this disease.”

Ms Courtney said the Government was working with aged care facilities to ensure appropriate protocols were in place.

“We prepare for this every year as part of our winter flu planning. We are implementing increased measures around the response for coronavirus,” she said.

WE JUST HAVE ONE SINGLE CASE IN TASMANIA, THERE’S NO SUGGESTION THAT HE HAS PASSED THIS ON TO ANYBODY ELSE AT ALL

KATIE FLANAGAN