Premier Peter Gutwein will close Tasmania's borders to Victoria with that entire state now considered high risk, adding to the growing list of mainland state citizens to be kept off the island.
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The Tasmanian borders will officially close to Victoria at 8pm tonight, and will be shut for seven days, a move that mirrors Victoria's decision to also close its borders.
This latest shutdown is in addition to the border closures currently in place with Queensland and New South Wales.
Mr Gutwein said there were around 9,500 Victorians logged as having recently arrived in Tasmania, but some of this figure would include Tasmanians returning home, and also Victorians who had already returned home.
"Anyone who has spent time in Victoria will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved as an essential traveller or returning Tasmanian who can quarantine in suitable premises," Mr Gutwein said.
"The exception is if you have been in a high risk premise ... you won't be allowed to travel."
Mr Gutwein said anyone who has been in Victoria in the last 14 days should continue to check the list of high risk premises on the coronavirus website.
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"If you have been in a high risk premise you will need to isolate immediately and contact the public health hotline."
He said quarantine facilities in the state were quickly nearly capacity and any person arriving in Tasmania would be returned immediately on the earliest flight available.
"In terms of any person arriving from Victoria, New South Wales or Queensland, who is not a Tasmanian resident or does not have approval to enter Tasmania, you will be turned around and placed on the next available flight as our hotel quarantine is now starting to rapidly reach capacity," Mr Gutwein said.
"The bottom line is, as a result of the escalating situation across the country, we are getting very close to there being no room at the inn. If you are now approved to enter Tasmania, then you will be placed on the next available flight."
