THIS IS OUR WAKE-UP CALL
BOOST TO VACCINATION, TESTING RATES
SOUTHERN Tasmanians will today learn if a three-day snap lockdown will end.
With no new coronavirus cases announced at the weekend and record testing and vaccination rates, there is a good chance residents have helped stop the spread following a Covid-positive man escaping hotel quarantine, visiting residences and a shop, then refusing to tell authorities where he had been.
State Health Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks (pictured right) said Public Health was “throwing everything that we’ve got” at increasing vaccination numbers.
COVERAGE
THE snap lockdown is likely to end as planned on Monday evening according to the Premier, as efforts ramp up further to vaccinate the state.
Premier Peter Gutwein said investigations were continuing into how a NSW man was able to leave hotel quarantine at Hobart’s TraveLodge, travel to Bridgewater and attend a local Woolworths and community park, sparking a three-day lockdown in the south.
Mr Gutwein said the only opportunity for the 31-year-old to leave through the hotel door would have been while the security guard on his floor was changing out of their PPE.
He said CCTV and security has ramped up since the incident. Of the man’s 168 primary close contacts, 95 have returned negative tests, while nine negative results have been returned from his 19 casual contacts.
Eleven of his 15 highest-risk contacts have tested negative. No contacts have returned positive tests.
Public Health director Dr Mark Veitch said authorities had identified no new exposure sites, but if a positive case was recorded, it might not spell an extension to the lockdown.
“If they’re a more remote contact who … had fairly fleeting encounters with the man, that would be a greater concern,” he said.
The lockdown has seen an uptick in Covid-19 testing and vaccination rates.
Tasmanians have received 83.5 per cent first dose vaccination and 68.4 per cent are fully vaccinated, with 70 per cent expected to be doubledosed in coming days.
More than 2000 vaccines were administered on Saturday, while 359 people were tested in Gagebrook, 239 at the Derwent Entertainment Centre and 733 at MacQuarie Point.
State Health secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said on Monday the Central Highlands Community Centre in Ouse, open 9am to 12pm, and the new Central Highlands Council Hall clinic at 6 Tarleton St, Hamilton, open 1-4.30pm, would boost rural vaccination rates.
“We are very keen to see as many of the 300 strong population in Ouse please turn up to get vaccinated (on Monday),” Ms Morgan-Wicks said.
Other southern vaccination clinics to open on Monday include Princes Wharf 1, Hobart Vaccination Centre, Blundstone Arena, Your Church Moonah, Rokeby Vaccination Centre, Brighton Civic Centre, and the new Mona Berriedale clinic.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service will launch its vaccination bus on Monday, with anyone over 12 able to receive Pfizer without an appointment across 23 townships over three weeks. This week, the mobile clinics will visit St Leonards, Westbury, Strahan, Beaconsfield, Beauty Point, Tullah and Waratah. For details visit coronavirus.tas.gov.au.