Tasmania will not be opening its borders on July 24, as was previously announced.

Premier Peter Gutwein said the lowering of the borders would be deferred by at least a week, if not longer.

He said it was important to have a clearer picture about what was happening with coronavirus in the rest of the country.

“It’s important, as we have stepped through this carefully, cautiously and responsibly, that we use these next couple of weeks to gain a full understanding of just what the outbreak of Victoria means for the rest of the country,” he said.

“I hope, as I’m sure most Australians do, that Victoria will get on top of it and we won’t see community transmission occur in those other states to a great degree.”

He said Tasmania was in the fortunate position of being one of the safest places in the country.

“We need to ensure that we maintain that position as we move forward and only open up when we are confident that the safety of Tasmanians whilst travelling, but also when they return to Tasmania, in terms of local communities and local families, that they aren’t put at risk,” he said.