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Health

Coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania's north-west 'trailing off', one new case confirmed

The North West Regional Hospital was one of two facilities at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania.

The number of coronavirus cases associated with an outbreak in Tasmania's north-west is "trailing off", the state's director of public health says.

Of Tasmania's 200 COVID-19 cases, 113 are associated with the outbreak.

Just one case was confirmed on Tuesday, a man in his 90s who was a patient at the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH).

Earlier, Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said it was "encouraging" that the number of new cases in the north-west appeared to be slowing.

On Monday, five new cases of coronavirus were confirmed, compared with 15 last Tuesday.

The outbreak caused the closure of the NWRH and the North West Private Hospital in Burnie for a "deep clean" before Easter.

The emergency department at the NWRH was reopened last week.

Close monitoring of three nursing homes in the region continues, following a healthcare worker and a resident testing positive at the Melaleuca Aged Care facility.

"There have been no further cases related to that institution and one person with respiratory symptoms had a test taken that will be processed today," Dr Veitch said.

Despite the trailing off in the north-west, Tasmania has now overtaken New South Wales as the state with the most confirmed cases per resident.

Coronavirus restrictions to be wound back 'cautiously': Premier

Premier Peter Gutwein said additional retail restrictions in place in the north-west, which closed all non-essential businesses for two weeks, were due to be lifted on Sunday.

He said authorities would "take advice on the best way to deal with those".

"A key aspect will be [whether there is an] increase or not in cases, another will be whether we see another outbreak on the north-west coast," Mr Gutwein said.

Mr Gutwein said while further social distancing measures were currently due to end on May 15, that date would be "guided by evidence and data" and that "not all those restrictions [in place] will be lifted".

"We will step back into this cautiously and based on public health advice post-May 15, subject to there not being another outbreak and north-west outbreak being completely contained," he said.

The Premier urged Tasmanians to download the COVID-19 contact-tracing app when it becomes available.

Tasmania hardest hit by job losses

Tasmania has recorded the biggest drop in jobs in the country.

The data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that between March 14 and April 4, jobs decreased in the state by 7.3 per cent.

Wages were also down 7.5 per cent.

Those hardest hit were in the 20-29 age bracket where there was a 8 per cent drop in jobs.

The three-week period was after Australia recorded its 100th confirmed case of COVID-19 and when government restrictions came into place.

Nationally, jobs decreased by 6 per cent, and wages decreased 6.7 per cent.

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