Tasmania will reinstate a hard border with Victoria after the mainland state said it was going into lockdown due to a growing coronavirus outbreak.
Victoria will enter a seven-day lockdown from midnight on Thursday in a bid to contain the Melbourne cluster that has grown to 26 cases.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein announced all of Victoria will be considered a high-risk location from 2pm on Thursday.
"This means that after 2pm you can't travel to Tasmania if you've spent time in Victoria in the previous 14 days, unless you are approved as an essential traveller," he told reporters.
Tasmanian residents in Victoria can apply for essential traveller status if they want to return home.
However, they must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival at a "suitable premises" or hotel quarantine at their own expense.
Mr Gutwein said he expected the travel ban to follow the seven-day Victorian lockdown.
"We will provide updates as we work our way through this. One would hope that over the seven days, they can get on top of this," he said.
Victorian authorities have identified more than 10,000 primary and secondary contacts linked to the Melbourne outbreak.
