President Comment

This pandemic is not over, and COVID-19 remains a real risk in Tasmania.

We now have COVID-19 back on Tasmanian soil with three overseas travellers testing positive to the virus while in hotel quarantine.

There is no need to be alarmed, but there is a real and urgent need to be very much alert to the increased risk of COVID entering our community.

Complacency and a 'she'll be right' attitude are our biggest enemy.

The best defence the community can take to this threat is to maintain social distancing and regular hand sanitising.

Our members are worried about the potential of a community outbreak.

We are confident that the government has learnt from the North West, Victorian and South Australian experiences and implemented more robust measures to hotel quarantine to try to limit the risk. However, there is always a risk that this vigorous, highly infectious virus could get out.

Tasmania needs to do our share in bringing Australians home, but this must be underpinned by the maintaining of the highest of standards by government and the community.

This is a "test" for our state and one which if we work together, we are confident we can help to pass especially as we have been living in a community that has been open with very little restrictions for an extended period.

For this exercise to work best we rely on several factors; firstly, that the government has learnt from other states as well as own our north-west outbreak, secondly that the community remains vigilant in our social distancing and steadfast in our hand hygiene, and finally contact tracing and testing.