Tasmania's rate of COVID-19 testing has reached a new low - down more than 30 per cent from the desired statewide benchmark.
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However, it could be because people aren't showing symptoms.
Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch said the state's rate of testing had continued to drop in recent weeks, with an average of .7 tests per 1000 people - or about 370 tests per day - with some of the lowest rates recorded around Launceston.
As at 6pm on October 27, there were 381 coronavirus tests conducted statewide in the preceding 24 hours - down 20 per cent from the same time last week.
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Throughout the pandemic the goal has been one test per 1000 people, or about 550 tests per day.
University of Tasmania senior lecturer Dr Scott Carver, who specialises in epidemiology, said one possible reason for low testing rates could be because people aren't presenting with flu or cold-like symptoms.
"The health department guidelines are related to having symptoms. But it's possible that there's fewer pathogens floating around that cause those symptoms naturally in the population at the moment - like the cold or flu," Dr Carver said.
Tasmania has experienced record low rates of influenza in 2020, with 162 laboratory confirmed cases compared to 3167 cases in 2019.
Interstate travellers arriving in Tasmania receive an information card telling them how to arrange a COVID test if they have symptoms, but testing is not mandatory.
Dr Carver said it was understandable that people might start to get complacent around having a COVID-19 test, if the level of risk wasn't understood.
"If people are coming into the state from areas with no cases, then the relative risk hasn't changed. But if there are people coming in from places where there are - even just a small number of cases - then the relative risk does change," he said.
"Because there is a level of asymptomatic infections associated with COVID-19, then that's certainly the justification for wanting to maintain those non-pharmaceutical interventions - so things like social distancing.
"That's the reason for doing those, while there isn't currently a vaccine to provide that population protection."
Dr Veitch said it remained vital that anyone with cold of flu-like symptoms get tested for coronavirus.
- If you have a fever, runny nose, cough, sore or itchy throat, or shortness of breath you might have COVID-19. More information can be found here.
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