Passengers on the Coral Discoverer in Hobart are being held onboard and tested for COVID-19 after two confirmed cases were removed from the Coral Expeditions ship.
Tasmania’s Premier Peter Gutwein said the two people who tested positive on the Coral Discoverer have been removed from the vessel.
About 60 passengers and 30 staff remain on board and are being tested for the virus with contact tracing to continue over the next two days.
The ship’s operators have activated their COVID response plan to manage the outbreak and ensure no broader risk to the wider community.
“We will continue to work closely with the vessel to ensure that any risk on board is being managed and to ensure there is no broader risk arising from the two cases that have occurred,” Deputy Director of Public Health Scott McKeown said.
Active infections in Tasmania have climbed to 1691 cases, but the premier said about 50 per cent of people were choosing not to use the COVID at home service because they were not symptomatic or were not feeling particularly unwell.
“Importantly, what we’re seeing at a national level is whilst case numbers are increasing as a result of the transmissibility of this disease, hospital numbers and ICU presentations are but a fraction of those overall cases,” Mr Gutwein said.
“I can understand people being a little anxious, it’s important people do stay calm.
“We need to ensure we step through this carefully, sensibly and responsibly as we manage the transition program that we have underway at the moment.”
Tasmania recently updated the definition of a close contact in line with national health advice. A close contact is someone who has had prolonged contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case during their infectious period, creating a high risk for transmission.
This could be a person who is a household contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, or someone who has spent more than four hours with a confirmed case in a house, accommodation or care facility setting. You will be advised you are a contact by the case themselves or by a message from Public Health.
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Source: AAP