The Royal Hobart Hospital and the Launceston General Hospital have escalated to Level 3 of their COVID-19 management plans.
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This follows the recommendation of each hospital's regional health management team and is based on the level of COVID-positive inpatients, level of COVID-related staff absences and general hospital demand.
"Escalation levels are well-established and effective protocols that enable our hospitals to prioritise available resources and continue delivering essential services based on demand," State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said.
"During this period of heightened pressure, we ask the public for their patience and understanding should they experience longer waiting times for lower acuity presentations or disruption to services.
"Staff are working hard to address the demand for health services, and the public can have confidence that the needs of emergency presentations will be met.
"Both the Launceston General Hospital and Royal Hobart Hospital will continue to allow one visitor per patient for one hour between 2pm and 7pm unless an exemption is provided by the nurse-in-charge.
"The public are encouraged to help keep our emergency departments for emergencies by making use of alternative care options for non-urgent injuries and illnesses."