The south of Tasmania is going into a snap lockdown from 6pm tonight after an "increasing number" of contacts connected to the COVID positive man have now been identified.
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People in the North and North West of the state are not in lockdown, but have been asked to stay within their regions unless for essential reasons.
Anyone over the age of 12 must wear masks when leaving the home, and there are just five reasons for leaving home.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the COVID positive man who absconded from hotel quarantine had not been cooperative, which had lead to inconsistencies and non disclosure of information.
He was in the community for 18 hours, and also visited Montrose Park after he left the hotel, which has now been announced as a further exposure ssite.
A primary contact of the man has also left home quarantine, has been fined, and is now in hotel quarantine.
"As I have said many times, the safety of Tasmanians is of the utmost importance. It has been our singular goal from day one to keep Tasmanians safe," Mr Gutwein said.
"We can't continue to wait to find out what has been going on...on Public Health advice, as a result of the circumstances we now face, there will be a three day snap lockdown in southern Tasmania," he said.
"This will commence on 6pm tonight, and be in place for three days, and end on 6pm Monday 18, subject to Public Health advice."
Meanwhile, rumours circulating about a possible snap lockdown earlier on Friday has resulted in an unprecedented number of people heading to supermarkets to stock up on supplies.
The lockdown comes after the 31-year old man from New South Wales escaped from hotel quarantine in Hobart on Monday, and was later found by police on Tuesday afternoon.
On Thursday the Bridgewater Woolworths supermarket was listed as an exposure site, with any person in that store between 3.15pm and 4.30pm on October 12 advised to isolate.
There are 80 people who have been identified as being in the supermarket at that time, and are currently being assessed.
Public Health director Mark Veitch said anybody in the state could become infected, but risk was highest in the south.
"It has been three days since this person was in Woolworths, so people who potentially got infected in that location could have moved around Hobart or those local government areas."
Also on Thursday, two students from East Derwent Primary School were sent home from school and tested for the virus, returning negative results.
The Woolworths exposures site is in addition to the flights, and airport bathrooms that were also listed as exposure sites.
MORE TO COME
