State notches up 80% of first jabs

TASMANIA has hit a Covid-19 milestone ahead of schedule with 80 per cent of Tasmanians aged over 16 now having had at least one dose of the vaccine.

State Growth Minister Michael Ferguson said he expected the target would have been made official on Sunday.

“I look forward to the confirmation of this. The advice I have been given is we are on track to reach 80 per cent today and 90 per cent by December 1 or earlier,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We are ahead of the run rate and the government would like to thank Tasmanians for embracing our campaign.

“If you haven’t had the jab yet there are appointments available right now.”

Mr Ferguson also had good news on the testing of the close and casual contacts of a teenager who returned from Melbourne to Launceston with the Delta strain.

The 15-year-old left home isolation and rode his scooter to an IGA in the Launceston suburb of Newnham.

Thirteen of the 17 identified close contacts have returned negative results.

And 52 of the 57 casual contacts have returned negative results.

The results of the other nine tests are still pending.

“It feels like we have had great management and some luck,” Mr Ferguson said.

“It was potentially a dangerous exposure situation.”

He said the state’s health system was ready and could cope when the virus “inevitably” comes to Tasmania.

“The hospital system is well prepared for the inevitable positive cases to come,” Mr Ferguson said.

“There is significant redundancy in the health system we have held on to since the initial outbreak in 2020.”

But opposition health spokeswoman Anita Dow said it was time for Premier Peter Gutwein and Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff to be honest about the state of Tasmania’s health system.

She said there was a dire need for more federal funding as the state planned to reopen the state. She said it was time the government stood up to Canberra and demanded more federal funding for health services.

“Even without the burden of Covid Tasmania’s health system is at breaking point,” Ms Dow said.

“The time for pleasantries are over.”

Mr Gutwein is due to release Tasmania’s road map out of pandemic restrictions later this month.

Mr Gutwein is so far standing firm on his stance that Tasmania will not bridge its “moat” until 90 per cent of the state’s eligible population was vaccinated.

Department of Health secretary Kathrine MorganWicks said on Sunday reports of error messages from the Check in TAS app happened because some users had not updated the app.

“The approximately 20 per cent of users who were running earlier versions have had to check in via alternative methods. Ensuring you update the app as soon as possible will help avoid further inconvenience,” she said.