The request to provide more clarity followed a similar plea by the ANMF last week, calling on the government to explain how staff would be deployed if COVID cases entered surge capacity.

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ANMF state secretary Emily Shepherd said while she welcomed the government's preparation, which included an increase in beds, ventilators, and PPE, she said healthcare staffing numbers were still too low to manage COVID-19 when it arrived.

"The state has a COVID-19 plan based on extra beds, ventilators, PPE and other resources and services - all of which require nursing and midwifery staff," she said.

"The layers of preparedness all rest upon a foundation of appropriate staffing, otherwise they will fall over."

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Ms Shepherd said the government needed to consider the wellbeing of healthcare workers, after the ANMF received reports of staff working increased hours.

"Our members already report high levels of overtime and double shifts and hold grave concerns as to how they will cope with an increase in activity from COVID-19," she said.

Secretary and State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the state's health staffing had increased by more than 840 FTEs since July 2020, with further recruitment underway.

Ms Shepherd said while staff employed in the state had risen, services had also increased meaning the gulf between staff and services remained.

"There may have been an increase in full-time equivalents across the health system, but this was required, due to increased services like vaccination and testing hubs, new beds and additional wards that have been announced," she said.

"This has not addressed the underlying chronic understaffing which will place our members at risk and will severely impact their health and wellbeing when borders open in just a matter of days."

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Ms Shepherd said despite numerous requests, the government had not been forthcoming with staff modelling or a staffing strategy, leading to concern from ANMF members.

"Our members are feeling that they need to be prioritised in this, just as ANMF members on the frontline across the country have been in other states and territories - when dealing with an outbreak," she said.

"They would like to at least think that the government had prioritised them, and has a plan in place to support them with the expected enormous workload that's about to be placed on them."

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Opposition health spokeswoman Anita Dow said the concerns raised by the ANMF were well-founded.

"We are now just eight days away from the border reopening and Tasmania's health care workers must be assured that the government has done the staff modelling required to support its COVID plan and that they will be well supported and resourced when we have COVID in our health system," she said.

Ms Morgan-Wicks did not provide any modelling or staffing strategy, but said the ANMF had been briefed on the state's preparedness.

"I personally updated Ms Shepherd during a weekly health stakeholder meeting just last night on our ongoing efforts to ensure excellent health care will be available, no matter what the scenario," she said.

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