Stay home and get tested for COVID-19 if you have any cold or flu-like symptoms, no matter how mild. Fast detection of COVID-19 cases will help reduce spread in the community. It’s important to get tested even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations. You can call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 to request a free test or call your own GP for further advice.

Read more about testing for COVID-19.

The best protection against complications of COVID-19, including hospitalisation, ICU admission and death, is to be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.

The older you are, particularly if you have medical conditions, the more likely you are to get complications of COVID-19, and the more important it is that you get your boosters.

All people in Tasmania, aged 5 years and over can get vaccinated for free. If you have questions about vaccination, speak with your usual GP or healthcare provider. You can walk-in at many clinics or book via the Public Health Hotline. You can also book an appointment at participating GPs and pharmacies. Find out more about vaccination and how to book online.

Face masks help protect you and the people around you from the spread of infectious droplets. When COVID-19 is at high levels in the community you are strongly recommended to wear a face mask in all indoor public places and on public transport and in other settings if you cannot physically distance.

People at risk of severe disease should wear a mask in all public places and consider wearing it around family and friends.

See face masks for more information and keep a mask with you and ready to use when needed.

If you have COVID-19, cold or flu-like symptoms do not attend high risk settings such as health facilities, residential aged care facilities, other residential care facilities, and correctional facilities.

These are all places where there are people at risk of severe illness, or the risk of an outbreak is high.

Help protect people at risk of severe disease by not attending these settings if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even mild.

As a business, review your risk assessment due to the current high levels of COVID-19 in the community. Keep staff informed of their risk and measures they can take to protect themselves and their colleagues.

Consider, as part of your business continuity plan, the feasibility of asking some staff to work from home.

Follow best practice guideline for your workplace.

Handwashing, sanitising and physical distancing all help reduce the risk of COVID-19.

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser when out and about. Do it before and after eating, when you arrive at, or leave a venue and as soon as you return home.

By covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue you can help reduce the virus spreading. Dispose of used tissues and then wash or sanitise your hands.

Try to stay at least 1.5 metres away from others when you can. The more space there is between you and other people, the harder it is for the virus, and germs generally, to move from one person to another. Read more about physical distancing

Some people who test positive for COVID-19 are more at risk of becoming seriously ill and needing hospital care. There are now medications (known as antivirals) that are available for people at higher risk. If you are eligible, you will need to get antivirals quickly after testing positive for COVID-19.

Taken as soon as possible, antivirals reduce the risk of hospitalisation and complications of COVID-19.

People at risk of severe disease should talk to their healthcare provider to have a plan in place to access testing and treatment if they test positive for COVID-19.

Find out more about eligibility, risk factors and antiviral medications.

If you are a case of COVID-19 you must isolate for at least seven days and advise your close contacts of your positive result. If your RAT is positive, you must register this result with Public Health at coronavirus.tas.gov.au. If you test positive on a PCR test, the laboratory will notify Public Health.

If you are a close contact of a case of COVID-19, follow these rules.

The risk of spread of COVID-19 is higher in a poorly ventilated space. Opening windows and leaving doors open in hallways and corridors allows fresh air into a room. Consider mechanical equipment that may increase airflow.

Find out more about ventilation here.

Strongly encourage staff and patrons to wear face masks.

Consider limiting the number of patrons/guests and providing seating to reduce mixing by people.

Ensure indoor spaces are well ventilated and, if possible, provide access to outdoor spaces within the event space.

Find out more about gatherings, density and physical distancing.

The Department of Health publishes regular data from across the state of Tasmania to keep Tasmanians informed about COVID-19.

The current risk of COVID-19 in the community is high.

COVID-safe behaviours. remain an important part of taking care of each other. We all need to play our part to protect ourselves from COVID-19 and take care of the people around us.

View the latest Tasmanian COVID-19 statistics