Newnham IGA declared COVID-19 exposure site after Tasmania quarantine breach

The 15-year-old boy flew into Launceston from Melbourne last Friday on Virgin Australia flight VA1364 and quarantined at the family home before he took a COVID-19 test.

He returned a positive result a day later.

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The boy had an overnight stay at the Launceston General Hospital before he was taken to a medihotel in Hobart on Sunday.

It has since emerged the boy left home quarantine on Saturday with a family member and travelled to the IGA supermarket on George Town Road in Newnham.

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the exposure window was between 2.20pm to 2.45pm.

He said the shopkeeper who served the pair has been ordered into quarantine and other customers have been contacted through the Check-in Tas app.

Mr Rockliff said two visitors to the boy's home on Friday night have been identified and ordered into quarantine.

Public Health director Mark Veitch said he understood the boy had only spent a few minutes at the supermarket, but did not wear a mask while there.

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Dr Veitch said the pair did not enter too far into the shop so there was no requirement for it to be closed for a deep clean.

He said the risk of community spread of quarantine was low due to the low level of public contact.

"People need to know that if somebody is in a household under quarantine, then they shouldn't be visited," Dr Veitch said.

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Acting state controller Dale Webster said there would be additional testing capacity at the Wellington Street state-run clinic in Launceston over the next five to seven days.

He said increased vaccination capacity was available at the South Launceston and Mowbray clinics with 1000 spots added.

Bookings can be made online at www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au or by calling 1800 671 738.

It was revealed over the weekend there were more than 12,000 eligible unvaccinated people living within the 7248 and 7250 postcodes.

These postcodes take in the Launceston area, Riverside, Prospect Vale, Newstead, Ravenswood, St Leonards, Newnham, Invermay, Mowbray and Rocherlea.

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Mr Webster said the boy was in a good condition at a COVID case management facility with a guardian.

He said that guardian had not returned a positive COVID result so far.

Dr Veitch said it would be known whether the boy had the Delta strain in the next one or two days.

"But it is almost certain that he does," he said.

Dr Veitch encouraged people in the Launceston's northern suburbs to get tested for COVID-19 over the next week for the mildest of symptoms.

"Now the time is not to ignore them," he said.

Dr Veitch said Victoria had averaged 1500 new cases each day over the past few days.

"There has been widespread community transmission in Melbourne, particularly among the western and northern suburbs," he said.

Dr Veitch said the Manningham, Maroondah and Stonnington local government areas had been added to the list of high-risk Victorian locations on Monday.

A list of high-risk areas is available on the government's coronavirus website.

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