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PETER GUTWEIN


PREMIER OF TASMANIA

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PETER GUTWEIN


PREMIER OF TASMANIA


PRESS CONFERENCE - 26 NOVEMBER 2021

Premier Peter Gutwein

Good afternoon. With me today I have with Dr Julie Graham, the Deputy Director
of Public Health, Kathryn Morgan-Wicks, State Health Commander, and I’ll run
through a reasonable amount of information, and then Dr. Graham will provide
further detail and take questions in terms of our contact tracking and tracing,
and Kathryn Morgan-Wicks will provide an update regards to where we are broadly
in terms of vaccination.

But I just wanted to start by, one, just providing some information.

Currently, as people would be aware, we've been managing two COVID cases in the
Fountainside Case Management Facility, one, an adult male has now been released
after producing a negative test, and the other, an 18-month old baby, still
remains with us, I understand he’s progressing well.

Our vaccination targets remain on track, with 92 per cent of those aged 12 and
over now having had one dose, and 84.3 per cent being fully vaccinated.

However, what this means is that we still have 26,500 Tasmanians that are due
for their second dose before the 15th of December.

Now, we need people to turn up and get that jab.

But I want to put this in context, we have more than enough slots available.

At our busiest, we can do 38,000 people per week for a dose.

We have 26,500 people that need to turn up for their second dose, and we've got
two and a half weeks to do it, so there is plenty of capacity.

If you’re waiting on a second dose, make certain that you get it before the
15th, when we reopen our borders.

Pleasingly, we've seen a good response to our five-day blitz for 12 to 18 year
olds, with around 2,000 more young people turning up over the five-day period,
but I want to encourage our young people to continue turning up, and especially
those that are in the age group that are old enough to drink and dance, because
you won't be drinking and dancing if you don't get vaccinated as we move
forward.

And Kathryn will provide some more detail in a moment, as I’ve said, but I think
one interesting stat that people will be interested in is for our over 50
population, we've now passed the 90% fully vaccinated mark, and for our over 70
age group, one of our higher risk cohorts, we now have around 95% fully
vaccinated.

So, that is moving forward well.

Importantly, I said this week, I'm confident that every eligible Tasmanian has
now had the opportunity to be vaccinated and, however, if you haven't done this,
turn up and get vaxxed.

There are multiple channels available to you, from state-run clinics to GPs,
pharmacies, and we're obviously, we've got the mobile bus etc, and Kath will
provide a bit more detail on that in a moment.

I do want to make this point, if you live in a rural or regional area and think
that because you're a little more remote you don't need the vaccine, please
think again.

We don't want this virus to find you, and eventually it will.

So, get vaccinated, make sure you protect yourself and those around you.

Vaccination will mean that you're far less likely to be seriously ill or require
hospitalisation, and we know that the majority of people across the country that
are fully vaccinated experience only mild or no symptoms and are not requiring
hospitalisation.

It certainly makes sense to get vaccinated.

I'll talk now about how we're going to manage COVID in our community moving
forward.

Obviously, we're reopening on the 15th, and I want to talk about what our
collective and individual responsibilities will be.

Now, there's a lot of information and some different categories to discuss, so
the information will be supported by factsheets and public advertising, you’ll
receive some of them today.

There'll be further information available directly for businesses from the
WorkSafe Tas website.

It'll include updates for the preparation of COVID safety plans, as well as a
risk assessment tool to assist businesses make assessments as to whether they
need to vaccinate their workforce and the steps that they need to take to
protect their patrons.

And WorkSafe Tas, Business Tasmania and the TCCI will also be providing a
service to businesses that require further support over the next two and a half
weeks.

I will begin at the beginning.

Firstly, Public Health will continue to manage all cases and contacts as we move
forward.

Importantly, positive cases will be required to isolate for two weeks and be
managed by Public Health.

I expect because of the high vaccination rate and therefore hopefully milder
symptoms that most cases will we managed at home at a suitable premises through
the COVID at Home program.

Household members will also be able to remain at home with a positive case, on
the basis that any contact is limited, and any household members will be managed
as a close contact, and that's something that we’ll work through with Public
Health.

People that are identified as close contacts will be required to quarantine.

The length of the quarantine will depend on several factors, including the
length of exposure, the vaccination status of both the case and the contact, any
PPE used and the nature of exposure.

Now, I just want to run through a close contact.

If you're identified by Public Health as a close contact, it means that you've
had prolonged exposure or face to face contact with a confirmed case of COVID
19.

Whilst Public Health will take into account the particular circumstances of each
close contact, I'll just provide an example, this means that if you were for 15
minutes or more sitting next to someone in the car, sitting on the same table at
a restaurant or sharing a small office space, or the positive case was
infectious, including the 72 hours before they got symptoms, you'd be a close
contact.

Now, close contacts, this definition won't apply to healthcare workers, because
they use infection control precautions such as PPE, and they'll be managed
differently.

If you're identified as a close contact, Public Health will ask you to do one or
two things, depending on whether you are vaccinated or not.

If you're vaccinated, you'll be directed to quarantine for seven days as a close
contact at home from the date of exposure and you'll be tested immediately.

You’ll then need to be tested again on day five, or six, and subject to a
negative test results you can then leave quarantine at that time.

There's no need to have the full 14 days as we've had in the past.

You’ll then be required though to have a test again on day 12, whilst you’re out
in the community.

Now, from release after seven days through to day 14, while out in the community
or at work, you'll be required to wear a mask when you can't physically
distance, avoid non-essential activities, avoid contact with vulnerable people,
such as those who are elderly, pregnant or have chronic health conditions, and
do not enter high-risk settings, such as an aged care home or hospital, except
for essential reasons.

So, significant change there.

People who are in the same household as the vaccinated close contact who are
unvaccinated must also follow the same quarantine requirements.

Those in the household that are not vaccinated do not need to quarantine, sorry,
those in the household who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine or be
tested, but must avoid high-risk settings for 14 days and need to monitor
symptoms, and if they develop to get tested immediately and quarantine until
they get results.

If you're a close contact and unvaccinated, due to the elevated risk of both
getting COVID-19 and spreading it, you'll be required to quarantine for 14 days.

You'll also be required to get tested immediately, to be tested on day five or
six, and again tested on day 12 or 13.

You can leave quarantine after day 14, once you’ve received your final negative
test, that is if you're a close contact and you're unvaccinated, so a different
set of rules.

Casual contacts.

There will be people who are regarded as casual context, and generally these are
people who have been in the same setting as the confirmed case during that
case’s infectious period but did not have face to face or close contact with
them.

You may be deemed a casual contact, for example, if you've had less than 15
minutes near a COVID-19 case with limited direct contact, there is some risk of
transmission based on vaccination status, PPE used, the setting etc, whether it
was indoors or outdoors and the nature of the exposure and, again, Public Health
will work through these matters.

An example of a casual contact may be a hospitality worker who was serving
tables where there is a positive case, however, they didn't have direct face to
face contact for a long period of time with the patron.

So, serving but not sitting at the table, not spending a significant time.

Another example could be a retail store employee, for example, who served a
patron who was positive but had less than 15 minutes contact with them, Perspex
shield in place on the counter providing separation and the business was taking
the necessary precautions under their COVID safety plan.

Casual contact will not need to quarantine, but they will need to get a test on
day 3 to 5.

If they're unable to physically distance from people and out and about they
should wear a mask.

Low-risk casual contact, these will be people who are regarded as low-risk
casual contacts, which means they do not meet the definition of a casual or
close contact.

There are people, for example, who may have been in a supermarket or a museum
when a positive case was there, but their risk is deemed very low, as they did
not have any direct contact.

Now, if you're a low-risk casual contact, you will not be required to do
anything other than monitor symptoms, and if you do develop symptoms even mild
ones, you'll be asked to get tested and isolate until you have the result.

All testing will be required to be PCR testing, and the rules apply to both
Tasmanians and those who are visiting the state as well.

And if you're a visitor to Tasmania who needs to quarantine as a result of being
a close contact, you should quarantine at the venue where you're staying or a
suitable alternative which meets Public Health requirements.

This highlights the importance of the check-in Tas app at all venues and
workplaces, which will be critical to enabling Public Health perform efficient
and effective contact tracing, and if you haven't already, please ensure that
you put your COVID-19 digital vaccinations certificate on to your check-in Tas
app or you have your vaccination certificate downloaded and saved through other
means, so that if you are wanting to go and dance and drink or attend a
festival, that you've got that electronically available to you.

Now, in terms of businesses, we've been saying now for the last month, all
businesses need to review their COVID safety plans.

Dr Veitch has made this point over the last month, every time that we've spoken,
that businesses have a COVID safety plan.

Many of them are using it as a result of the habits that they build up, but that
COVID safety plan may have sat in the drawer for the last 10 months, because we
just simply haven't had a case or a need for it to be used.

Businesses should get it out and look at it.

Importantly, information be on the WorkSafe website, WorkSafe Tas, Business
Tasmania and the TCCI, as a said, will be providing a service to business that
require further support, depending on the size of the business or the
organisation, whether it is a higher-risk setting or [inaudible] a case and
outbreak management plan, they’ll also be required.

These are all set out and have been now for a long period of time on the
WorkSafe website, and I'd encourage people to go to that site.

It is a Public Health requirement that all businesses must conduct a risk
assessment, and if that assessment indicates that to keep people safe in line
with the Occupational Safety laws, they should mandate a vaccination policy for
those staff that are at higher risk, and they should.

That's already occurring in a number of businesses.

WorkSafe has developed comprehensive guidelines and templates, which will be
available, as I understand it, from this afternoon onwards to assist businesses,
ensuring their workplaces are COVID safe, that their employees, customers and
clients understand the expectations and safety measures that they have.

In regards to response planning, guidance is also provided, including how plans
are supported by testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, as outlined
earlier.

The guidelines are informed by Public Health advice and, importantly, businesses
should not need to close, if there are close contacts or higher-risk contacts
identified but, importantly, you need to follow your COVID safe plan.

And if I could just make this point, in the North of the state, we had a case a
couple of months ago, went to an IGA. The business cleaned, it just kept
operating. Likewise, Woolworths in the South.

We had, again, a case, a positive case, that was there, the business maintained
its normal COVID safety arrangements and continued to operate.

That's what we would hope will happen in the future, as we move forward.

We want business to remain open and continue trading.

Closure would only be a last resort option, if a wider outbreak should occur in
a business setting and it's unsafe for staff and/or patrons.

Businesses, as I said, have had these COVID safety plans in place now for around
12 months, and noting that we have been COVID-free for many businesses, you
know, they built the habits, and we’d just ask them to go back, but also look at
the new information which will assist them to assess how best to keep their
staff and patrons safe.

I want to make this point, if broader localised hotspots are identified by
Public Health, then targeted local area lockdowns may be implemented, we've been
quite clear on that.

We'd hope that we don't need to get to that but, importantly, follow the COVID
safety plan in your business and be advised by Public Health.

In finishing, I just want to touch on a couple of other matters.

A quick update on our current border arrangements.

Last week, we reduced the risk level of the ACT, to Higher Risk Level 2, which
means that people can come to Tasmania, including returning home, subject to
quarantine.

In terms of Victoria and New South Wales, whilst for most areas you can travel
to Tasmania and quarantine, there have been in place a number of High Risk Level
1 LGAs, two in New South Wales and nine in Victoria, from which you couldn't
travel to Tasmania without a special exemption.

And I can assure you, there have been very few of those that have been given.

Today, due to the ongoing confidence in terms of those two jurisdictions, we're
removing this and enabling travelling for most of the LGAs, subject though to
quarantine on arrival.

The only remaining no travel LGA will be Moree Plains in New South Wales, given
the high proportion of positive cases in that LGA, and so, if you are somebody
that has been wanting to travel to Tasmania, albeit knowing that you would need
to quarantine, coming out of either Victoria or New South Wales, but have not
been able to because of the higher-risk designation of that LGA, check the
website and, as I've said, there's only one of those LGAs who remains.

And, again, Tasmanians returning home will be able to stay in their own home, if
fully vaxxed and present a negative test 72 hours prior to travel, and subject
to being able to make the necessary travel arrangements that we have in place.

But, again, all of that's on the website.

Moving forward, the 15th of December is going to be upon us soon enough.

Importantly, for businesses, I would encourage you to look at the WorkSafe
website, I would encourage you to engage with WorkSafe, with Business Tasmania
and, importantly, the TCCI.

Get the advice that you need.

We want to keep you open and operating and, importantly, we will work with you
in terms of our contact tracing and, importantly, isolation and quarantine, and
with the measures that we've introduced today we believe that provides us with a
good glide path through the transition phase.

I'll hand over to Julie Graham.

***


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