NSW traveller sparks Tasmanian COVID-19 testing
Tasmania has conducted almost 2000 COVID-19 tests, all of them negative, following a man in quarantine in Launceston testing positive to the virus after returning to NSW.
Premier Peter Gutwein says it’s been confirmed the 31-year-old had the Delta coronavirus variant and every precaution has been taken to make sure the virulent strain doesn’t get into the state.
“The Tasmanian government’s number one priority is to keep Tasmanians safe and secure, and pleasingly out of the 1888 laboratory tests undertaken yesterday, all results have again returned negative,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
All 189 of the man’s contacts have been notified and 139 of them were in quarantine and being tested, Mr Gutwein said.
The remaining 50 have been assessed as low risk and are not required to quarantine.
Wastewater testing results have also so far returned negatives, including those for Launceston, the premier said.
Tasmania has border restrictions in place for all of Victoria and NSW, and 11 local government areas in Queensland, in addition to high risk premises in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Cairns.
“We will continue to monitor the situation in these states and adjust our border settings if necessary,” Mr Gutwein said.
He said the authorities had picked up the man without an endorsed G2G pass and he was immediately sent into hotel quarantine.