I understand COVID has significantly changed the way in which we live. However, when you travel more than three hours to visit or have come from the mainland this becomes ludicrous.

I am also aware people can apply for exemptions, however, this is reliant on the goodwill of staff or if they can be bothered to complete the paperwork.

Surely, this rule needs to be revised.

I travelled to visit my brother and was only able to see him for one-and-a-half over a three-day period. To add insult to injury, it takes up to an hour to find a suitable parking spot due to the builders and electricians' cars taking up valuable real estate for visitors.

The other issue with a 30-minute visit is if a patient has more than one visitor they have to wait in the corridor outside the patient's ward, in the path of nursing staff, doctors and others. Surely if they were in the ward with their loved one it would make no difference.

Also, how is it that a patient with private health insurance can be shoved randomly into a four-bed ward?

I am not happy I cannot see my brother because of the tyranny of distance and that the LGH is not flexible enough to see that its rule needs revision.

IT is pleasing to note TEER and the chamber of commerce (The Examiner, July 3) are finally acknowledging the importance of the tidal prism to the wellbeing of the upper Tamar.

Professor Jenny Davis, Mike Seward and I have been pushing this idea for more than 10 years now. However, the article asserts: "Zone 1 is constantly under pressure, from higher levels of nutrients and elevated turbidity". This is not the case.

High turbidity in the silt belt is a sign of a healthy and stable estuary; in fact, turbidity increases as the system approaches equilibrium. It is one of many counter-intuitive processes operating within the estuary.

Turbidity should never be used as a key performance Indicator for estuarine health and, again, we have been saying such for many years.

THE latest census figures show how ridiculous the bureaucracy in the Australian Bureau of Statistics has become.

By encouraging anyone to tick an ethnicity box and then publish the results as accurate, the ABS is acting way out of line and doing Aborigines a disservice.

For heaven's sake, from a base of 300 in 1850, Aborigines in Tasmania are now, according to the latest ABS census, half the population of the Northern Territory and, proportionately, the second-highest Aboriginal population in the country.

Who in their right mind believes that?

Is it a coincidence that Minister Roger Jaensch has been pushing for the government to allow anyone to claim to be Aboriginal without any onus of proof and without any scrutiny?

It is time for the government to admit responsibility for this absurd situation.

TO vape or not to vape - that was the recent question asked by ABC TV's 4 Corners program.

Vaping, initially marketed to the 18-24 age group to stop or prevent smoking, has unknown, long-term health effects and, contrary to smoking deterrence, may have had a propensity to encourage non-smokers to try smoking.

Available in Australia by prescription only, a black market has unfortunately developed with some vapes crudely constructed with extremely high levels of nicotine.

"Big tobacco" now has substantial investments in certain US vape companies, allegedly trying to prevent young people from smoking?

DRIVING from George Town to Launceston regularly for work, it is appalling to see so many cars with only one headlight or, worse, not bothering to turn on their lights at all, even in thick fog.

Also, many people don't bother to indicate when changing lanes or turning, this is basic road safety for everyone.

Dipping your lights to oncoming traffic doesn't happen much anymore.

In many industries, it is compulsory to update CPR yearly and first aid every three years. Maybe it's time for drivers and cars to be refreshed.