Media release – Scott McKeown, Acting Director of Public Health, 22 October 2021
Mask requirement associated with Southern lockdown no longer in force
The requirement to wear masks in Southern Tasmania as a result of, and following, the lockdown in Southern LGAs has been lifted.
This measure was put in place as part of the public health response to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Greater Hobart area last week. Given there have been no further cases, testing numbers have been high and wastewater testing remains negative, the decision has been made to lift this requirement.
As of 2.30pm today, people in Southern Tasmania, or people who have been in Southern Tasmania since 6pm Friday 15 October, are no longer required to wear masks.
This area included Brighton, Central Highlands, Clarence, Derwent Valley, Glamorgan-Spring Bay, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huon Valley, Kingborough, Sorell, Southern Midlands, and Tasman local government areas.
People should note that visitor restrictions will remain in place in Southern Tasmanian hospitals and aged care facilities until 6pm tonight. Mask wearing requirements for hospitals will continue after 6pm, consistent with the pre-lockdown settings. The requirement for masks to be worn at COVID safe events of 1000 people or more will also remain in place including the Royal Hobart Show and Salamanca market.
The local government area of Darebin in Victoria has today been declared a no travel zone following a high number of COVID-19 cases.
From midnight tonight, anyone who has been in the Darebin area in the past 14 days will not be able to enter Tasmania at this time.
Anyone who arrived in Tasmania since 16 October who has been in Queensland in the past 14 days should monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms following cases in that state. If you develop any symptoms, especially if you have recently travelled from the Gold Coast, regardless of how mild, get tested immediately.
People should continue to monitor the website coronavirus.tas.gov.au for further information and high-risk premises alerts.
The South Island of New Zealand (NZ) will be down-graded to low-risk from midnight tonight.
From this time anyone who has spent time in the South Island, and not in any other high-risk areas or premises in the 14 days prior to arrival, is no longer required to quarantine upon arrival. Travellers will need to register their travel and contact details through the Tas e-Travel system no more than one day before they arrive.
New Zealand’s north island will remain high-risk (level 2). Anyone who has spent time in the North Island in the 14 days prior to arrival is not permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved as an Essential Traveller.
Quarantine and other conditions are in place for all Essential Travellers. Travellers can apply for Essential Traveller status via the G2G PASS system.
A number of premises in NZ remain high-risk (level 1). Essential Traveller status will not be granted to anyone who has spent time in a high-risk (Level 1) premises at the specified dates and times. This includes Tasmanian residents. See Travel Alert for the list of high-risk premises.
