Current Advice for Tasmania

Previously, From 1 September 2022, the mandatory isolation period for COVID-19 cases will be reduced from seven days to five days, following a decision by National Cabinet.

The change, which takes effect from Friday 9 September, will not apply to workers and visitors in high-risk settings such as Aged Care, Disability and Home Care where the seven day isolation requirement remains in place.

The change means that, provided COVID-19 cases are no longer displaying symptoms on Day 5 of their isolation period, they will be able to leave isolation.

From 12.01am Monday 2 May 2022, close contacts of COVID-19 cases will no longer be required to quarantine.

Close contacts can leave home if they have no symptoms and return a negative test when notified they are a close contact. They must do the following for seven days:

• test for COVID-19, daily if they plan to leave home
• wear a face mask in all indoor settings when outside the home
• not attend high-risk settings, unless as a critical worker and an exemption is in place – read about exemptions
• inform their workplace that they are a close contact

Read about the new requirements for close contacts.

The need to check in at certain businesses and events will also be removed from 12.01am Monday 2 May 2022.

Businesses and organisations will need to update their COVID-19 Safety Plans in line with the changes.

 

Previously, from 11 Mar 2022, masks will be recommended, but no longer mandatory in indoor sport recreation areas and gyms.

Masks will be retained in high-risk settings where transmissibility is more of a risk including:

• Hospitals;
• Residential aged care facilities, residential disability care facilities and in-home care;
• Correctional facilities;
• Health care facilities and medical services (including GPs, dentists, optometrists, pharmacies and other allied health providers);

Masks must still be worn by workers who:

• have an exemption from mandatory vaccination requirements at their workplace. Read more about these requirements.
• are critical worker close contacts who have been exempted from quarantine requirements to return to work. Read more about these requirements.

If people want to keep wearing masks for their own protection to minimise the spread of transmission, they are encouraged to do so.

 

Previously, from 12.01am Saturday, 5 March 2022, while some restrictions for wearing masks have been relaxed (customers in retail settings), the current requirements for wearing a face mask at indoor sport and gyms and at health and medical services remains in place at this stage.

 

Previously, from 6.00pm Friday 18 February, the Check in TAS app is no longer required to be used for Pilates, fitness, indoor recreation venues.

For those businesses and venues that are no longer required to use Check in TAS, they need to remove signage from display including QR codes and any paper based check-in used to collect contact information. The QR codes should be kept safe in case they are required in the future

Masks are required in indoor sporting and exercise facilities – for example fitness studios and gyms – except while doing intense physical exercise – for example, playing a game of indoor netball – or swimming.

The kinds of activities that will be ‘intense physical exercise’ will vary between individuals but as a general rule, you can remove your mask if you are out of breath or puffing. Examples might be walking briskly or running on a treadmill, cycling on a stationary bike, or completing an intense cardio workout.

Masks are required to be worn while doing other activities that are not intense, such as stretching.

 

Choosing to mandate vaccination for employees or customers

An employer or organisation should get legal advice if considering requiring employees or customers (other than those included in the legal Direction) to be vaccinated. There are many workplace relations, discrimination and privacy issues to consider.

An employer or organisation can only require that employees provide evidence of their vaccination status in particular circumstances. If the employer or organisation intends to collect vaccination status into a record of employees and members, they must be satisfied that this collection is permitted under Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 3.

 

Previously, 29 November, COVID-19 Case and Outbreak Management

Preparing for a case or outbreak in your workplace or organisation (checklist )

All businesses should have a COVID-19 Safety Plan that captures how your business or organisation complies with the minimum standards for managing the risks of COVID-19. COVID-19 Safety Plans should be reviewed regularly, and particularly in the lead up to the opening of Tasmania’s borders.

An Outbreak Management Plan captures how your business or organisation will prepare for and respond to a confirmed case or cases of COVID-19 in your workplace or setting.

Released 29 November The Director of Public Health has updated the Vaccination Requirements for Certain Workers direction, which has set a deadline for all sectors. If you are legally required to be vaccinated in accordance with the Direction you must have received all of the doses of the vaccine before 8 January 2022 (last date for second dose must be 7 January 2022). In Tasmania, workers in quarantine facilities, health settings, the disability sector and aged care will need to be vaccinated to perform their roles.

Previously, released 26 Oct 2021 The Department of Health is reminding all workers in health care settings, who are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, that they need to provide evidence of vaccination or exemption to their employer by 31 October 2021.

The requirement to be vaccinated applies to people who work in health care settings and people who provide health and medical services and treatments outside of these settings, including persons registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and particular allied health professionals.

All Department of Health employees and contractors are also required to be vaccinated.

On and after 31 October 2021, a person is not permitted to enter, or remain on, the premises of a medical or health facility for employment, engagement (including volunteering), placement, or work experience, unless they are sufficiently vaccinated against COVID-19.

For more information about mandatory vaccination see Health care settings.

 

Previously, the lockdown in Southern Tasmania will end at 6pm today (Monday 18 October) but some restrictions will remain until 6pm Friday 22 October in the declared local government areas.

Face masks must still be worn outside the home by everyone aged 12 years and older.

All businesses and services will be able to operate as normal under their COVID-19 Safety Plans, including check-in requirements where applicable.

Read more about COVID-19 Safety Plans

Read more about check-in requirements

 

From 6pm today, Friday 15 October 2021 Southern Tasmania will be in lockdown for three days.

• Brighton Council
• Central Highlands Council
• Clarence City Council
• Derwent Valley Council
• Glamorgan-Spring Bay Council
• Glenorchy City Council
• Hobart City Council
• Huon Valley Council
• Kingborough Council
• Sorell Council>
• Southern Midlands Council
• Tasman Council

Leisure and recreation facilities are closed unless used for permitted physical rehabilitation undertaken by an accredited practitioner, or registered health practitioner under HPRNL (Health Practitioner Regulation National Law).
Outdoor exercise only, within 5km of your home and no longer than 2 hours.
Exercise alone or with members of your household, including carers or one person from another household for safety reasons only.

https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/covid-19-coronavirus-lockdown

 

From 15 December 2020

Gymnasiums, health clubs, fitness centres, wellness centres (including yoga and barre premises), sport or fitness, premises used for personal training and other pre-arranged sporting activities, whether indoors or outdoors, will be required to collect information of patrons who enter and remain on the premises for at least 15 minutes. This will allow for the rapid identification of people who may have been exposed to COVID‑19 if a case is present.

Owners and operators need to ensure patron information is directly accessible by the Director of Public Health.

For guidance on how to meet contract tracing obligations visit www.business.tas.gov.au/coronavirus_information/contact_tracing

All workplaces are required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan that complies with minimum COVID-19 safety standards.

 

Previously, Friday 26 June, Tasmania will bring forward further easing of restrictions enabling more people into businesses.

The maximum density limit will move from 4sqm to 2sqm. This will not apply to some settings as is currently the case (eg. transport and health facilities);

Indoor sport and recreation – maximum density limit, with a cap of 250 persons per single undivided space, including athletes and support staff. Sporting activities can be undertaken based on Level C of the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport. This means:

• use of change rooms and other shared facilities permitted but not encouraged
• non-essential social gatherings should be limited

Sporting facilities, including gyms, must continue to have a staff member or other authorised person on the premises while open.

Importantly, 1.5m physical distancing where practicable continues.

 

Previously, Friday 5 June 2020 the following are open (with restrictions):

• Yoga, barre, dance schools and other fitness studios can operate with a maximum of 20 attendees (excluding staff) in each single, undivided space, up to a maximum of 80 attendees in each distinct building on the premises at any one time.
• Indoor sporting and gym facilities with multiple separate rooms may have up to 20 attendees (excluding staff) in each single, undivided space, with a maximum of 80 attendees in each distinct building on the premises at any one time.
• Indoor gym facilities must have at least one employee (or other person responsible for the premises) present at the facility at all times while it is being used.
• Multi-purpose indoor sporting facilities are permitted to have up to 20 attendees undertaking sport/training (excluding coaching/support staff) in each single, undivided space, with a maximum of 80 attendees in each distinct building on the premises at any one time.
• Full training cannot resume for sports or activities that involve person-to-person contact (e.g. boxing, wrestling, holding, tackling, blocking). Modified, non-contact training (such as skills training) is permitted for these activities.

Read more information about sport and recreation.

NOTE:

The maximum attendee number excludes staff, but do include children and babies. The four square metre rule must be complied with and all people should maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from others where possible. Read more about physical distancing.

Under Level B of the AIS Framework, participants are encouraged to ‘get in, train and get out’, including showering at home and avoiding communal meals and socialising.

Changing area and showers at sporting centres/facilities are not permitted to be used however toilets should be open for access.

Indoor gym facilities must have at least one employee (or other person responsible for the premises) present at the facility at all times while it is being used.

 

Previously, under Stage 1 (from 11 May), the following was permitted:

“Gatherings increase to 10 people (not including event or premises staff) for indoor and outdoor gatherings, but must adhere to physical distancing of 1.5 metres and a maximum of one person per 4 square metres.”

“Boot camps open for up to 10 people with physical distancing of 1.5 metres required. Bring your own equipment where possible (e.g. fitness mat) or disinfect communal equipment between uses.”

The Tasmanian government advised us by email on 11 May that “non-traditional service providers” may continue to provide healthcare services from a medical or health services facility and not from premises such as gymnasiums, health clubs, fitness centres, wellness centres and other similar premises or venues.

The Tasmanian government directions (Gatherings No. 8) prohibit:

“13. All indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gymnasiums, health clubs, fitness centres, wellness centres (including yoga and barre premises), indoor venues used for sport or fitness, saunas, bath houses and other similar premises or venues, other than such part of the premises or venue used to provide physical rehabilitation services if –

(a) the rehabilitation services are provided by, or under the direction of:

(i) a registered health practitioner within the meaning of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Tasmania); or

(ii) a person who holds accreditation, as an accredited exercise physiologist, with Exercise and Sports Science Australia Ltd (ABN 14 053 849 460); and

(b) each person in that part of the premises complies with the requirements of paragraphs

(g) where safe and practicable, each person must maintain a distance of no less than 1. 5 metres between the person and any other person; and

(h) in any gathering, the total number of persons present in any single undivided space, at the same time, must not exceed the number calculated by dividing the total area of the space used, as measured in square metres, by 4 ”

(f) a reference to a gathering does not include the following gatherings:

(vi) at a medical or health service facility, including such part of the facility used to provide physical rehabilitation services, that is necessary for the normal business of the facility