While the rest of the country has almost become familiar with contact tracing, lockdowns, mandatory mask wearing and indeed the obligatory checking in, Tasmanians seem to be slowly coming to terms with the new "norm" and as such, are demonstrating this through not wanting to be out and about as much.

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The mere fact that a simple coffee date with the girls or a few work drinks may place someone in a seven-day quarantine over the festive season could be enough to explain the cancellations and low occupancy rates in these establishments.

I am sure that we will again see local business and our favourite restaurants being frequented by locals in the new year as we become more used to the new reality of COVID and the decision to go out will not impact so heavily on time with loved ones.

Hang in there ... numbers will definitely be back!

I feel I must respond to Mark Wells' letter (Examiner, December 27) headed "Border belly laugh". The same day there were five other letters all supporting my call for Tasmanian borders to be closed, and there have been others before.

Thanks to our Premier, I cannot go to see my family in Western Australia or visit friends in Queensland. Also, some of our shops in Launceston are "close contacts" and you go there at your own risk. So long as any variant exists in Tasmania, a future, perhaps more deadly, variant will emerge.

It needn't have happened, and shouldn't have, if Peter Gutwein had put our health before profit and political gain. He chose to ignore the information re Omicron, from the UK, and around the rest of the world.

We are now suffering for it, hard to take after two years of virus free life. I think the laugh is on you Mark, health must always come first.

It is just absurd! Premier Peter Gutwein is telling us to learn to live "safely" with COVID, after we had the safest state, a growing economy and no disruptions of our lives. And what is now the gain of open borders? Is it the loss of quality of life? Is it the gain that people enjoy to go to public venues in the face of the threat to be grounded after they have done so?

Is it the perspective to go to school and see your schoolmates in masks and expose the teachers and kids to the constant threat of being infected? Is it the cancellation of vital medical procedures for the broader population? Is it the possibility of ending up in hospital? The list could be continued.

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Be sure there will be no more vote for Mr Gutwein from our family!

What has been done to Tasmanians is just irresponsible and we made sacrifices (like not travelling interstate) in order to keep Tassie safe. What has just been thrown out, because this government wants it for the sake of the lobbyist of big business, is not at all considered.

Everyone including the press has lauded Peter Gutwein throughout this crisis. It was never him, it was the great people of Tasmania. now he has exposed us to potential disaster because his donor mates including the AHA wanted their greed back. Shut the borders, this is lunacy

I would like the government to keep it as is. The government made the decision to open the borders, we need to be kept informed. COVID isn't going away, pretending it isn't that bad by withholding information is treating us like idiots.

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I would think even casual contact could be just as dangerous for someone who has breathing/lung problems. So why not name them? It's ok for anyone who doesn't have a major breathing problem to say don't list them as it's not a death sentence for them. Walk in our shoes.