Shit got serious near me
1h ago
16:22
Tasmania to close and clean hotspot hospitals, shut down retail in north-west
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has announced that North-West regional hospital and North-West private hospital in Burnie will be shut for a deep clean, and the staff will be required to isolate for 14 days.
The government is doing this because of the 133 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, 61 are linked to the north-west coast, 49 are linked to an outbreak in the hospitals and 35 are healthcare workers.
The close contacts of those affected will also need to self-isolate.
There will also be new restrictions in Latrobe, Kentish, Devonport, the Central Coast, Bernie, Waratah, Circular Head, and the West Coast.
In addition to the rules around only leaving the home for an essential purpose, all retail stores in the north west will be required to close unless they can do online or home delivery.
There is an exception for medical services, pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations, bakeries, laundromats, dry cleaners, newsagents, bottle shops, IT repair and car repair, vet services, pet food stores, and banks.
Kmart and Harvey Norman will be closed, Gutwein said, and Bunnings will only be allowed to sell to trade workers.
“This will be a difficult period, I would ask you to work with us,” Gutwein said.
“With the aim of this is to get to the end of a two-week period where we can bring those health services back online and importantly we can lift the restrictions as well. We need to do this, we need to do it now, we need to get on top of it, and I make no apologies for that, the swiftness of the action that we are taking.”