A 90-year-old man is the tenth person to die from coronavirus in Tasmania.
The man, who was from the state’s northwest, died at the Mersey Community Hospital in Latrobe on Friday.
The man’s death takes the national COVID-19 toll to 80.
“On behalf of the Tasmanian government I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to (his) family, friends and loved ones,” Premier Peter Gutwein said in a statement on Saturday.
“To the northwest community, which I know to be a tight-knit community, my thoughts are with you all.”
Nine of Tasmania’s deaths have been in the north-west, where an outbreak has been responsible for more than 130 of the island’s 207 cases and earlier this month forced the closure of Burnie’s two hospitals.
Two new cases in the region, both men aged in their 20s, were confirmed on Friday night.
About 1200 healthcare staff from Burnie’s North West Regional Hospital and neighbouring North West Private Hospital are due to come out of a two-week quarantine on Sunday.
They must all return negative tests before being allowed to work again.
More than 70 healthcare workers from the two facilities were infected with the virus amid the outbreak which saw cases spike over Easter.
Services at the hospitals are progressively coming back online as the buildings are deep cleaned.
An investigation is underway into the source of the outbreak, which has been linked to infected Ruby Princess passengers returning to the state.
-wtih AAP
