All vaccinated interstate and international arrivals can enter Tasmania without a need for quarantine
from December 15, as long as they have returned a negative COVID-19 test, the state government has announced. When 80 per cent of the Tasmanian population over 16 years is fully vaccinated, interstate and international travellers can enter the state from a high-risk area if they undertake hotel quarantine or qualify for "risk-based" home quarantine.
From
December 15, with a 90 per cent vaccination rate of those aged over 12,
anyone can enter Tasmania without a need for quarantine as long as they are fully vaccinated. Interstate and international arrivals will
need to provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel, but returning Tasmanians will not need a test if they are returning from a trip shorter than seven days.
Mr Gutwein said the reopening date of December 15 was a firm one.
"
We are not going to turn back from that date," he said. "I'm signalling to every eligible Tasmanian over the age of 12, if you are not vaccinated, get it done, and get it done as soon as you can. "Don't wait until December 14."
'COVID will come to Tasmania, make no mistake' Mr Gutwein said he was confident the vaccination targets would be met if people continued to turn up. He said Tasmania's older and more vulnerable population had influenced the Government's reopening plan. "We know once our borders are relaxed, COVID will come to Tasmania, make no mistake of that," Mr Gutwein said.
The Premier also said the mandatory face mask rule still in place despite the end of the three-day snap lockdown in southern Tasmania would end immediately. That rule had been scheduled to end at 6pm today, but the Premier said it could end early with no new cases. There are still some circumstances where masks are required, including events like the Royal Hobart Show and Salamanca Market. Visitor restrictions for aged care and hospitals will end at 6pm as planned.
Modelling informing reopening plan
Mr Gutwein said modelling from the Kirby Institute was helping inform Tasmania's reopening plan. "This modelling is Tasmanian-centric, updated for the aged specific population of Tasmania and hospital capacity of our state and specific Tasmanian targets for vaccination," he said. "While they do not predict the future, they do help inform plans based on different scenarios." The modelling runs over 200 days and will begin on December 1, and assumes 10 infected cases on day one. The model assumes that during the outbreak, 90 per cent of 12-15 year olds would be vaccinated by mid-January, but Mr Gutwein said he expected Tasmania would reach 90 per cent among that age group sooner. "We expect less impact than what the modelling shows," he said. Mr Gutwein said he expected a plan to vaccinate the 5 to 11-year-old age group would be approved in coming weeks.
Source