Following the confirmation of a COVID-19 case in Western Australia yesterday, and after assessment by Tasmanian Public Health Services, the Perth Metropolitan Region, Peel Region and South West Region have been declared high-risk areas by the Acting Director of Public Health.

This means that anyone intending to travel to Tasmania who has been in any of these high-risk areas in the 14 days prior to arrival will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved by the Deputy State Controller, and will be required to quarantine.

For the 108 people who arrived at Hobart airport late yesterday afternoon, each person has been contacted and asked to self-isolate and will be further contacted by public health this evening to determine their circumstances and any requirements for further self-isolation and testing.

Returning Tasmanian residents will be permitted to enter the State and isolate at home, provided they have a suitable premise.

Non-Tasmanian residents who enter the State without approval will be required to go into government-designated quarantine at their own expense and may be directed to leave the State.

Travellers currently in Tasmania and who have been in Western Australia on or since 25 January are asked to check the Western Australia risk location list at coronavirus website www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au

Anyone who has visited any of the locations listed at the specific date and time should self-isolate immediately in their accommodation and call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 for further advice and management.

The Western Australia risk location list may change as the public health response progresses and should be checked regularly by anyone who has recently been in Western Australia.

Tasmania continues to take a sensible, swift and proportionate response to managing our borders to keep Tasmanians safe and will continue to monitor the situation in Western Australia and update Tasmanians if the circumstance changes.

In relation to New Zealand, the Australian Government announced yesterday the resumption of the New Zealand travel bubble due to there being no further cases identified in that country. Further measures have been applied at the Australian border for 10 days to ensure anyone who is a close contact or casual contact, including any person who attended a risk location in New Zealand, doesn’t enter Australia.

Based on information from the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Public Health declared a number of premises to the north of Auckland as high-risk premises. A list of all the high-risk premises can be found via the coronavirus website www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travelalert

These high risk premises will remain declared until 14 days after their risk period to provide additional measures at the Tasmanian border to prevent travel from the mainland or anyone who attended one of these premises. Anyone who attended a New Zealand high-risk premises will not be permitted to travel to Tasmania without prior approval.

I’m pleased to report that with the improved COVID-19 situation in NSW, as of yesterday, the state is now classified as low-risk, meaning anyone who has been in NSW in the 14 day prior to arrival in Tasmanian are not required to quarantine.

I would again like to thank all those people who continued to do the right thing by either changing their travel or complying with the quarantine requirements during this period. These actions are playing an important role in keeping all of us safe and enabling us to keep on top of COVID.

We all must continue to be vigilant at all times. Keep washing your hands, get tested if you have symptoms, stay home if you are sick, cover your coughs and sneezes appropriately and please follow the latest restrictions.