A man in his late 70s in a Northern residential aged care facility was recorded as a COVID death in Friday morning's coronavirus update.

There have been 37 COVID deaths since borders reopened on December 15, including 19 in April.

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This week, Health Department deputy secretary Dale Webster outlined the process of how a death is attributed to COVID.

"We report both those that are a contributing factor and those where [it is] the primary cause," he said.

"It's part of the death certificate.

"There is a process where a doctor will actually assess the case and then they advise public health on a daily basis. It's analysed there, and it's reported both here, but we also report it nationally."

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Of the deaths since December 15, one has been a person aged in their 50s, 10 in their 60s, six in their 70s, three aged 80 to 85, and 16 aged above 85.

In the latest Tasmanian coronavirus surveillance report, cover up until April 24, 35 per cent of the deaths since December had been among fully unvaccinated people who make up 1 per cent of the adult population.

From April 16 to 23, weekly new case rates decreased in all council areas except for Circular Head, King Island, Southern Midlands and Tasman. The rate remained stable in Central Coast, Kentish and Latrobe.

The previous week, case rates were increasing in Central Highlands, Dorset, Glamorgan-Spring Bay and Meander Valley, but this has since started to come down again.

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The 20-39 age range continues to be the main driver of coronavirus infections in Tasmania during mid-April, while the rate among children has declined significantly.

On Friday there were 1090 new cases - a drop from 1202 the previous day - while 16 patients were in hospital specifically for COVID and three in intensive care.

From Monday, close contacts of COVID cases will no longer need to quarantine at home but must wear masks when in indoor spaces outside of the home, have daily rapid antigen testing and adhere to social distancing.

After COVID outbreaks were considered "under control" in the Launceston General Hospital and Royal Hobart Hospital earlier this week, cases have emerged in other hospital settings in the South.

Two patients have tested positive at the Repatriation Hospital in Hobart, and another at the RHH in one non-medical ward in each facility.

An incident management group has been established to carry out contact tracing, and all other patients on the wards are being tested.

The wards are closed to non-COVID admissions and visitors.

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