The COVID outbreak detected in a ward in northern Tasmania's Mersey Community Hospital has grown from two cases to 10, as the state records another 1,185 infections.
Across the state there are two COVID patients in ICU — the same as yesterday — and 12 people are receiving treatment specifically for COVID complications.
The state's total active cases has dipped slightly to 6,323, with 1,279 people leaving quarantine in the past 24 hours.
Yesterday health authorities announced that two COVID cases had been detected in a medical ward at the Mersey in Latrobe.
Initially, one of four patients in the ward became symptomatic and returned a positive test, before a second patient came back positive.
Today the Chief Medical Officer Tony Lawler said positive cases in the hospital had now grown to 10 — eight patients and two staff members.
"It is an outbreak. It's a managed outbreak," the Premier Peter Gutwein said.
"Public Health officials are currently working through the testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine process in terms of this outbreak, and are managing it."
'We are well prepared to meet and address this challenge'
At a press conference this afternoon, Dr Lawler said he understood staff and locals were feeling anxious about the situation.
"I want to assure you, we are prepared for this," Dr Lawler said.
"High vaccination rates and the use of appropriate PPE and increased vigilance among the community and staff mean we are well-prepared to meet and address this challenge."
He urged the community to keep seeking treatment at the Mersey if they needed it.
Dr Lawler clarified that eight patients with links to the Mersey's medical ward had now tested positive for COVID-19. They included the two initial patients identified on Tuesday, four more patients on the ward, and two who had been discharged but readmitted.
He said two staff members, out of 150, had returned positive rapid antigen tests.
Although the daily cases across Tasmania have been stable, experts say it is unlikely the state's COVID outbreak has peaked yet.
Public Health director Mark Veitch yesterday said more than half the total number of people being treated in hospital for COVID were aged in their 70s or 80s.
