In an email sent to THS North staff, Regional Health Commander Dr Peter Renshaw wrote, staff who had attended a high-risk area or Tasmanian exposure site would no longer be required to disclose the information to enter a THS facility.

The directive which came into effect at 5pm on January 11, applies to all THS staff and contractors and means that staff returning or coming from interstate no longer required an exemption to enter a THS site.

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In the same email, Dr Renshaw wrote many staff had tested positive for COVID, while a significant number had been recorded as close contacts.

Labor Health spokesperson Anita Dow questioned the decision citing health concerns.

"It would appear it is acceptable and safe for staff returning from high-risk COVID areas to enter health and hospital facilities without answering important questions to keep those venues, staff and patients safe," she said.

State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said the THS required every person entering its facilities to complete a daily screening process, including questions concerning symptoms and close contacts.

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She said anyone who had symptoms or was considered a close contact of a COVID-19 case should not enter a hospital.

Australian Medical Association state president Dr Helen McArdle said with COVID widespread in the community and on the mainland, the need to identify people who had visited an infected area had become superfluous.

"COVID is out there, so distinguishing those people who've been interstate compared to those people who've just been in Tasmania, there's really no need," she said.

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Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Emily Shepherd said considering outbreaks had become a national issue, monitoring staff returning from high-risk settings was unnecessary.

"In light of the fact that most of the other states and territories are also dealing with a significant outbreak - as in Tasmania - the monitoring of those high-risk settings is probably null and void," she said.

On Wednesday the total number of active cases in Tasmania rose from 8356 to 8746, while the state recorded 1583 new COVID-19 cases.

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Zero patients were admitted to intensive care, although 22 people were under observation in the state's hospitals.

The Department of Health advised eight patients were being treated specifically for COVID-19, while the remaining 14 positive cases in hospital were all being treated for unrelated medical conditions.

Ms Morgan-Wicks said the removal of the health screening question reflected the reality that COVID was now circulating in the Tasmanian community.

She said a range of mitigating protocols were still in effect as well as designated testing clinics at hospitals.

Andrew Chounding is The Examiner's Health Reporter, if you have a health-related story please email Andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au

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