A man has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Tasmania from NSW on Wednesday morning, the first day of the border fully reopening.
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The man in his 20s had tested negative before departure and was fully vaccinated, according to Premier Peter Gutwein, but was contacted by NSW Health after arrival in Hobart due to being at a venue in Newcastle where cases had been detected.
He then travelled by taxi into Hobart, picked up a car, travelled to the showgrounds and was tested.
He tested positive, reported about 8pm Wednesday. It was unclear if it was a case of Omicron, which will be determined in the coming days. It is being managed as an Omicron case.
The man is isolating at a residence and is being managed under the COVID at Home system.
He was on board Qantas flight QF 1533 which departed Sydney at 6.42am and arrived in Hobart at 8.29am.
Close contacts include the taxi driver, a family member who accompanied him, and 19 plane passengers who were in the two rows in front and behind, and same row. The remaining 78 passengers are not deemed close contacts.
Mr Gutwein said the detection and subsequent isolation was how the system was supposed to work.
"Some people will be concerned and I can understand that," he said.
"What this demonstrates is that the system works and we will continue to follow the plan we have laid out.
"This will be the first case but not the last we will receive."
About 7000 people were approved to enter Tasmania on Wednesday.
All of greater Sydney and Melbourne - as well as Geelong and Newcastle - have been declared high risk after further local government areas were added. The requirements for entry from these areas is detailed on the Tasmanian Government's coronavirus website.
The government has launched a dashboard on the Department of Health Facebook page which includes vaccination statistics, case numbers, hospital patients, ICU patients and people in the COVID at Home system.
Five breaches detected at Tasmanian airports
Five unauthorised travellers have been detected attempting to enter Tasmania since the border reopened.
A 24-year-old woman from Victoria allegedly failed to provide her name and address, and was uncooperative with police at Launceston Airport. She has been charged, and bailed to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on February 2.
Two people have been fined for failing to wear a mask.
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One man was unvaccinated, and has been turned around.
Of the five, three were international travellers who have been placed in hotel quarantine.
Tasmania Police Deputy Commissioner Donna Adams said this was due, in part, to some confusion regarding entry requirements for international travellers.
She said the government would be reviewing the advice on its website to clarify confusion.
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