Health authorities are fudging Tasmania's coronavirus figures by avoiding having obviously ill people tested, a GP claims.
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"The public health strategy for this epidemic is to avoid testing anyone to keep the numbers down and throw their health professionals under the bus," the Southern-based doctor said on Monday.
"Today, the public health hotline told a returned traveller with cough, fever and shortness of breath not to bother isolating themselves and to come into their local GP to get their temperature checked.
"Their recommendation would have been different if they got into the country after midnight instead of 10 minutes before.
"I saw another patient with flu-like symptoms who came back from an interstate music festival whom they recommended to just go about their usual business.
"We have 25 sets of gowns and masks."
A person familiar with the situation said people at significant risk of having coronavirus attending GP clinics had potential to make vital health workers ill, as well as infecting high-risk, elderly and immuno-compromised patients.
He said patients such as those with heart conditions and diabetes would be in trouble if medical professionals became sick and were unable to see them.
Health Minister Sarah Courtney said: "Tasmania's Public Health Hotline is staffed by highly skilled nurses, and supported by highly trained public health doctors."
"This team closely follows the national testing guidelines, and there is no better skilled group in Tasmania to provide advice to patients and GPs and I thank them for their work.
"We will continue to support this team, and engage closely with GPs, pharmacists and other healthcare providers to ensure they are supported."
Shadow Health Minister Sarah Lovell said: "If advice is being given to community members that is inconsistent with public health guidelines, that's concerning and the government should give it urgent attention."
Ms Lovell said it was important community members received clear and consistent information from all government sources, and that they followed advice on self-isolation.
"This is particularly important for people who have recently travelled," Ms Lovell said.
"Self-isolation is an important measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community."
There had been seven coronavirus cases confirmed in Tasmania at the time of writing, with three of the people having recovered.