The effects of the latest COVID-19 outbreak on the Northern Tasmanian Health Service are continuing to grow, with more than 50 staff currently COVID-positive.
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The latest figures were revealed in a memo to staff from Northern Tasmanian Regional Medical Commander Dr Peter Renshaw today (January 6).
According to the memo, some staff have reported their positive results through the Public Health system, and others have been advising their managers directly.
"It is planned to establish a centralised process for more accurate staff data," the memo read. "If you receive a positive test result, please notify your manager as soon as possible."
Statewide, acute hospitals have five patients who are positive for COVID-19.
There are two COVID-positive inpatients at the Launceston General Hospital. One LGH patient is being treated for reasons other than COVID.
The spike in cases in the Northern Tasmanian Health Service follows yesterday's confirmation that five staff members at the LGH had tested positive to COVID.
Despite the rising number of staff members to have returned positive results, there remains no evidence of transmission of COVID within the LGH.
Speaking in Hobart on Wednesday, State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said there had not been any reports of hospital transmission of the virus.
"This has been staff that have experienced community transmission or have been on leave," she said at the time.
LGH remains at pandemic escalation level two, however, according to the memo, planning has started to move to level three in response to the number of staff who are COVID-positive or close contacts of positive people.
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