The North West Regional and Private Hospitals will be closed for a ‘super clean’ and all staff quarantined. The quarantine will apply to health care workers, their families and any patients discharged from the hospitals since 27 March.
The measures come in response to the continuing coronavirus outbreak centred on the hospitals, and after an elderly woman in her 70s passed away at the NWRH overnight. The state’s COVID19 death toll is now five.
“We have already seen unprecedented measures to date, aimed at containing this outbreak, including diverting ambulance services, closing wards to new admissions, and quarantining staff and their households,” said Premier Peter Gutwein.
“On the advice of Public Health Services and key clinical leaders, we are now taking the next step to ensure that we can get on top of this.”
Additional restrictions will apply to businesses, with only essential retail services allowed to continue. They apply to businesses in Latrobe, Kentish, Devonport, Central Coast, Burnie, Waratah-Wynyard, Circular Head & West Coast Council areas.
Businesses can operate if they provide online services or delivery, otherwise they must close. Exemptions will be in place for pharmacies, supermarkets/food, bakeries, medical services, newsagents, bottleshops, banks, hardware (trade only), pet food, automotive (repair, not sales).
Restrictions will be in place initially for two weeks and may then be lifted if there is no community transmission of COVID19. See full text of the government statement below.
“We will crush this,” said the Premier in his second press conference of the day on Sunday afternoon.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision to make, and has involved complex clinical planning, but it is based on the best advice from our local experts. The protection of our health workers and health facilities must remain our number one priority.”
Health Minister Sarah Courtney acknowledged that completely shutting down the two hospitals and then restarting them going to be a complex operation.
“We need to do more,” said as she explained the new measures. “We want the best outcomes for you (health workers), your families and the wider community. We know it’s a stressful and anxious time.”
The practical steps being implemented are:
- current inpatients to be transferred tomorrow to Mersey or outside region if necessary
- additional PPE at Mersey
- emergencies should call 000; support provided by ambulance service & GPs
- delivery of cancer, renal & other services being reconfigured; maternity cases managed on individual basis
- ‘super clean’ to be conducted by specialised team
- emergency dept NWRH to be cleaned & restaffed in 48 hours
- NWRH & PH will have staged reopening as staff pass through 14 day quarantine
- priority on resourcing & reestablishing clinical services
- increased testing across the North West region
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Scott McKeown said the outbreak was clearly a risk to public health.
“Today’s decisions will ensure control & containment,” he said. With a 14 day coronavirus incubation period, he said it was quite possible there would be further cases in the North West.
“The best way to contain the virus is isolation, social distancing and intensive contact tracing.”
Media release – Peter Gutwein, Premier; Sarah Courtney, Minister for Health, 12 April 2020
Further measures to protect the North-West community
Already, we are have taken significant steps state-wide to help achieve this, and I again want to thank the community for their assistance and understanding.
Unfortunately, there has now been a significant outbreak of the coronavirus in the North-West, which requires us to take additional pre-emptive action to ensure we flatten the curve.
So from midnight tonight additional, stronger business restrictions will be implemented for a period of 14 days in the following municipal areas: Latrobe, Kentish, Devonport, Central Coast, Burnie, Waratah-Wynyard, Circular Head and West Coast.
Under these additional, stronger restrictions the following will apply:
- Businesses– additional business restrictions affecting most remaining retailers will be implemented. These measures are aimed at reducing customer facing interactions wherever possible.
For Individuals – the rules for individuals and families have not changed – stay at home, unless you absolutely need to go out, for example to get essential supplies; and
All remaining retail businesses will now be required to close from midnight tonight, except for those providing:
- Essential services such as medical services, pharmacies, supermarkets, green grocers, food take-away, service/petrol stations, bakeries, laundromats and dry cleaners, newsagents, rural services and general stores, bottle shops, IT repairs, car repairs (but new and used car sales are closed), veterinary services, animal and pet food supplies and banks; and
- Trade supply stores open to trade customers only.
Big box retailers and others that offer online services and home delivery can operate for online services and home delivery only.
If you operate a retail business that does not fall into these categories, and if you are unable to offer online sales and home delivery, you must close. Exemptions may be available in certain circumstances.
Local Government essential services will continue to operate as determined by Local Councils.
If in doubt, contact the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.
There will be an Order under the Public Health Act which will take effect from midnight tonight, and detail will be communicated publicly in newspaper advertisements and radio announcements, with targeted messaging to the North-West community.
I understand these additional forced closures will come as a blow to businesses that have been trying to adjust to the coronavirus operating environment.
To those business, and their affected workers, I offer my genuine apologies, but ask you to please understand it is a necessary action at this time to save lives.
The coronavirus is an insidious disease that can spread like wildfire if we don’t take the necessary actions.
I take absolutely no pleasure in imposing these additional restrictions, especially on the retail sector, and we will review these following the 14-day period.
We are in the fight of our life against the coronavirus and I again urge everyone to join the battle by staying home, to save lives.
Media release – Rebecca White MP, Labor Leader, 12 April 2020
Labor backs strong new measures in NW
· Strong measures needed to tackle alarming NW COVID-19 outbreak
· Labor supports strong and decisive action to save lives
· Stay home and save lives
The Labor Party gives its full support to new announcements made today by the Government aimed at containing the COVID-19 outbreak in Tasmania’s North West Coast region.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said everything that can be done should be done to protect the community and save lives.
“These new restrictions will be disruptive and difficult for the North West Coast community but, given the extreme outbreak in the region, they are necessary to keep people safe and limit the spread of the virus,” Ms White said.
“The closure of two of the region’s hospitals is a big step but given 49 of the COVID-19 cases confirmed to date have been linked to the North West Regional Hospital it is vital we do everything possible to protect the staff, patients and the wider community.
“The Labor party conveys our support for all the staff working at the two hospitals at this difficult time as they enter quarantine with their families.
“We thank all the staff across our health system who are working under enormous pressure and dedicating themselves tirelessly to the care of our community at this difficult time.
“We have always said that we will support the government when they take strong and decisive action to protect the community and they have our full support in introducing these measures today.
“I again encourage everyone to stay home wherever possible and follow the rules to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities.”
