Tasmania has confirmed its first coronavirus case a day after reopening its borders, a man in his 20s who travelled from NSW.
The man arrived at Hobart Airport on Wednesday morning on flight QF1533 and returned a positive test in the evening.
Premier Peter Gutwein said the man was an approved traveller, was fully vaccinated and had returned a negative test in the 72 hours before landing in Tasmania as required.
"After arrival he was notified by NSW Health and informed he was a close contact of a case in NSW," Mr Gutwein told reporters on Thursday.
The man is isolating at a home and is being managed by public health.
Anyone who was at Hobart Airport between 8.30am and 9am on Wednesday should monitor for symptoms and get a test if they develop any.
Tasmania on Wednesday threw open its borders to all fully vaccinated travellers after almost two years of hard border restrictions.
The island state has been virtually free of community virus cases since early in the pandemic and had no active cases when borders reopened.
"It's understandable that some people will be concerned. However, what this demonstrates is that the system works," Mr Gutwein said.
"This will be the first case but not the last we will receive."
Tasmania on Wednesday night declared all of Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Geelong as high-risk areas for COVID following increases in case numbers, including the new Omicron variant of concern.
All people wishing to enter Tasmania from high-risk areas must return a negative test in the 72 hours before they travel.
