Premier Peter Gutwein has warned of looming deaths in Tasmania as a consequence of coronavirus.
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Mr Gutwein said on Sunday that Tasmanians needed to prepare for the worst amid the escalating COVID-19 crisis.
"I expect ... that there will be deaths," he said. "People will die as a result of this and we have to be ready for that."
Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for Tasmania
The National Cabinet will meet later today to discuss the next steps in confronting the spread of coronavirus.
"I expect that Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland will introduce further tough requirements as result of community transmission [in those states]," Mr Gutwein said. "I want to flag to Tasmanians that my intention is to take further steps in line with those other states."
While Tasmania is currently in a better position when it comes to the prevalence of COVID-19 than almost all other jurisdictions in the country, the Premier said that shouldn't preclude the state from adopting similarly strict measures sooner rather than later.
"I'm of the view that we should take those harder actions now to stop things from getting worse," he said.
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"I expect to have more to say in the coming days.
"We want to reduce the risk, so further measures will be looked at."
At midnight tonight, new measures will come into place in Tasmania that will require all non-essential travellers to be quarantined for a fortnight in government-run facilities across the state.
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