The state government has reinforced its tough stance on travellers saying that quarantining at home is not an option for people who have recently been in NSW.
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The Covid Coordination Centre said that anyone arriving into Tasmania from NSW was required to go into a government-designated quarantine hotel.
"Border controls restricting entry to Tasmania are our state's strongest defence against COVID-19," a statement said.
The Covid Coordination Centre's response came after a Northern Tasmanian man contacted The Examiner because government-designated quarantine was full and as a consequence he was exiled at the NSW border.
There are 594 quarantine rooms in Tasmania after the addition of 108 rooms on Monday evening.
But David Johnson and his wife have been forced to stay at Tocumwal, NSW because the quarantine hotels were full.
"My main beef is that despite being a resident we are not being permitted to return to our home," he said.
"The state is prepared to leave us in a zone that is not safe."
He said he could feasibly quarantine at home in Tasmania, but is not permitted to do so.
"The message is that residents are not to be trusted to self quarantine as can be done in all other states," Mr Johnson said.
"If we get a G2G pass you can't isolate at home, but are required to pay for government-based quarantine. Very poor treatment of citizens anyone should think."
Mr Johnson said it should be possible to design a system where people could isolate at home.
He said he was paying for a hotel at Tocumwal in the hope that he gets a G2G pass and could travel direct to the Spirit of Tasmania.
He said government-designated quarantine in Tasmania would cost an estimated $4000.
The retired teacher said that the couple had been self-isolating for a month and had not stayed in any town with active covid cases.
"Although we had no symptoms we even took a covid test which gave a negative result," he said.
Mr Johnson was critical of the G2G system saying he applied on August 3, but did not receive his refusal until 5pm on August 11- the night he was hoping to be on the ship.
He said the couple went to the ACT and NSW in June to attend a wedding and visit family on the mid-north NSW coast.
Mr Johnson, who was unvaccinated when he left Tasmania, said that when he arrived in NSW Sydney did not have the virus.
"We only intended to be away for six to eight weeks, but now it looks as though it will be significantly longer," he said.
He said he had been left in limbo with no end date because a new G2G application had to be made after each refusal.
He said his experience showed that potential travellers needed to think twice before going anywhere.
"You may be trapped with only a few hours notice and while complications of backdating contacts is appropriate this causes further issues," he said.
He said the "visit your own country" tourism push was problematic under the present system.
He said the tourism industry crisis was illustrated by the fact that the couple were the only guests at a 24 room hotel.
The Covid Coordination Centre said that there was high demand for hotel quarantine in Tasmania and access was being prioritised.
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NSW is classified as a high risk level 1 which required anyone arriving from NSW to go into the government designated hotel.
"Travellers should never assume they will be granted Essential Traveller status or have access to hotel quarantine until they receive approval in the form of their G2G Pass," the statement said.
"Anyone who is denied a travel pass and arrives in Tasmania will be fined $1557."
Tasmania presently has no covid cases compared with the climbing total of around 480 cases a day in NSW.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
