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The weekend's drenching rain could be a sign of things to come

Who would have thought weather would be providing the good news a few months ago? The weekend's rainfall is a welcome relief after years of drought and there could be more on the way.




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Tasmania bans visits to hospitals under new coronavirus measures

The Tasmanian Government bans visits to all of the state's hospitals, with some exceptions for parents and on compassionate grounds, under new social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.




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Megan was in Paris on an arts residency when coronavirus hit. Now she's reimagining her project from home

Artist Megan Walch was just two weeks into a months-long arts residency in the heart of Paris when coronavirus took hold of France. Armed with her camera, she documented her experiences. Now back home in Tasmania, she's just one of the artists adapting her work for an unusual age.




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Nine new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania

Authorities reveal eight of the nine new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Tasmania are linked to the North West Regional Hospital, as the state records its third death.




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Home bakers put heat on supermarket flour supplies

If you're hoping to bake hot cross buns or fresh scones this Easter you might have to think again — mills simply cannot get their product delivered fast enough to restock supermarkets.




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Man winched to safety after trying to sail from Melbourne to Tasmania

The Tasmanian man was trying to get home in a yacht when he hit rocks near Portsea on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.




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Four more coronavirus cases confirmed after Easter police blitz warning

Tasmania records another four cases of coronavirus, all in the state's north-west hotspot, after Premier Peter Gutwein warned of a statewide Easter police "blitz" and an "effective lockdown" in the north-west.




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Sacre rhubarb? French respond to Tassie farmer's bubbly post with a firm 'non'

A Tasmanian farmer's suggestion that people make champagne with their surplus rhubarb draws a legal warning from the French.




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Eleven new coronavirus cases in Tasmania's north-west as government moves to 'ring fence' outbreak

Tasmania's coronavirus tally reaches 133, with the director of Public Health confirming 11 new cases have been diagnosed in the state's north-west today.




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This performer is using circus tricks to teach children about boundaries and consent

Meet the Tasmanian circus performer who's determined to teach kids and adults how flying through the air and hanging upside down can reframe how we think about bodies, boundaries and consent.




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Fifth Tasmanian dies of coronavirus as 11 more cases confirmed in the north-west

A Tasmanian woman in her 70s has died of coronavirus, taking the state's death toll to five, as 11 more cases are diagnosed in the north-west.





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Tasmania calls in ADF medics as coronavirus tally hits 150

Six new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours are found in Tasmania, all of the them in the disease hotspot of the state's north-west, bringing the tally to 150.




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Easter was not the same this year — but this might help if you're feeling lonely

Social-distancing measures mean we haven't been able to celebrate Easter like we normally would, and many of us are feeling lonelier than ever. The good news is, there are things you can do to stay connected.




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Chief Medical Officer walks back 'illegal dinner party' claim

Brendan Murphy was rebuked by Tasmania's Premier after saying most of the people involved in a cluster of COVID-19 cases around the town of Burnie broke social-distancing laws.




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Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warns New Zealand to pay attention to Tasmania's experience.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warns New Zealand to pay attention to Tasmania's experience



  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)


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Fluke sighting of deformed seagull leads to Australian record

An ornithologist who decided to take five while conducting a bird survey in Tasmania could hardly believe his eyes when he spotted a three-footed seagull. But even he had no idea how unusual the find was.




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Police run down armed man to end dramatic stand-off

A stand-off in a suburban street between an armed man and police is captured on video, with officers pointing their weapons and ordering him to surrender before he is knocked down by a police car.




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Cash-strapped farmers brace for further pain amid foreign investment crackdown

A clampdown on foreign investment into Australia could cut-off vital funding for cash-strapped farmers and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, industry figures say.




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Royal Commission begins into 'Black Summer' that killed 33 people

The chair of Australia's Bushfire Royal Commission says the evidence from those affected by the nation's catastrophic bushfire season will be critical in "applying the lessons learnt so that we can do things better in the future".




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Coronavirus alert for nursing homes in Tasmanian outbreak zone

Infection protocols are being checked at three Tasmanian nursing homes after contact tracing reveals a healthcare worker from an infected hospital has also worked shifts at three aged care facilities.




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How COVID-19 has changed the workload of Australian paramedics

As the country stays bunkered down during the pandemic, some ambulance services have seen a reduction in call-outs, especially to road accidents. Others say they're dealing with calls about flu-like symptoms that need to go elsewhere.




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Tasmania records seventh coronavirus death, four more cases confirmed

A 72-year-old man becomes the seventh Tasmanian to succumb to coronavirus, as four more cases are confirmed in the north-west. It comes as the emergency department of a hospital at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak reopens.




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'Sometimes Play School trumps ABC News': Reporting and broadcasting from home under coronavirus restrictions

Coronavirus has forced some dramatic changes to how the ABC keeps the public informed, from home-based broadcasting to webcam interviews and recruiting people featured in a story to help film it on their mobile phone.




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

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, with additional retail restrictions in place in the region due to be lifted on Sunday night.




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Australia's largest ag field days postponed for first time in its history

AgQuip will not run in August, as it has done since 1973, due to the coronavirus pandemic, with organisers flagging November for the event which usually attracts about 100,000 people to north-west NSW.




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No new cases of coronavirus for Tasmania, as north-west cluster blamed on Ruby Princess

Australia's Chief Medical Officer says a coronavirus cluster in Tasmania's north-west was likely sparked by a passenger from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, as the state marks 24 hours without a new case being found.




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Easing of restrictions on the cards, Chief Medical Officer hints

The Chief Medical Officer spent nearly two hours answering questions from senators about Australia's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are all the key points you need to know.



  • COVID-19
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Health
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)
  • Government and Politics

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Homelessness hard enough, then coronavirus makes sleeping rough even more dangerous

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life on the streets more difficult than ever and despite government promises to help, Lionel says he has been "hearing that for a long time and nothing happens".




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Elderly man becomes 10th Tasmanian to die from coronavirus

Tasmania records its 10th coronavirus death and its ninth in the hotspot north-west region, with another health worker case announced late Saturday.




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'Something's happened up there': Why Aboriginal Tasmanians shun Hobart's mountain top

One Tasmanian Aboriginal elder says the mountain's summit is where her spirit will go when she dies. She wants people to only visit the sacred pinnacle "for good reason".




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Tasmania records 11th coronavirus death, with four new cases confirmed Sunday night

Another elderly person dies from coronavirus in Tasmania's north-west, the state's third death announced in three days, as four new cases are confirmed on Sunday night.




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School resumes in Tasmania this week. Here's what you need to know

Tasmanian mum Leesa Bouman plans to juggle classes at home with her three kids and a one-year-old by taking it "one day at a time" when virtual term two gets underway on Tuesday. What's it going to look like for parents, teachers and students as the COVID-19 crisis continues?




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Tasmania records 13th coronavirus death as Government holds firm on restrictions

An elderly woman becomes the 13th Tasmanian to succumb to coronavirus as the Government rules out an easing of state restrictions.




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North-west Tasmania's coronavirus outbreak timeline

Key dates in the outbreak which unfolded in two Tasmanian hospitals, according to a report released by Public Health.




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Susan and Lisa were teenagers in state care when they were allowed to live with abusive men

A woman who says she was raped and left pregnant and another whose head was flushed in the toilet while vomiting after physical abuse are among allegations in civil claims against the state of Tasmania by former residents of children's homes.




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'We couldn't have picked a better time': Couple isolates on remote island in Bass Strait

Rachel and Daniel Weeks are living on a national park in the middle of Bass Strait, embracing their isolation. But they feel like they are missing out on nothing during the COVID-19 crisis thanks to the crowds now on popular apps.




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Working from home sees loungewear get a facelift

People working from home during COVID-19 restrictions have ditched the slacks for the humble track pants.




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Paramedics' decision to leave woman who refused treatment questioned by coroner

Ambulance paramedics left a woman with a history of mental illness alone in her home without electricity, hot water or lighting before she was found dead months later, in a move a coroner said was "difficult to understand."




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For Tasmania's Mother Teresa, isolation has been a habit for quite some time

Having been a nun for 22 years, Mother Teresa Benedicta knows a thing or two about isolation. Here are her tips for living in solitude.




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Farmers hit the road to deliver to her door and stay afloat in lead-up to Mother's Day

Taking mum out for lunch this weekend is not an option, but thanks to innovative producers it has never been easier to get a gift delivered to her door.




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SA school runs make-up class for students in response to social media pressure




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Youth mental health Budget focus, but what's the situation really like?

Money woes, climate change and personal crises mental health is the number one concern among young people. But are they more "emotionally fragile" than generations past?




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Teens who threatened Riverland school massacre have 'done their time', court told

Lawyers for two teenagers who threatened to carry out a school massacre tell South Australia's Supreme Court they should be immediately released.




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Olive growers face challenging season with limited water supply, extreme heat

With the olive harvest starting in some parts of South Australia, some farmers are now seeing fruit that has not developed or has shrivelled due to a lack of water.






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Riverland student who stabbed classmate found not guilty due to mental incompetence

A student who stabbed a classmate at Renmark High School in South Australia's Riverland is found not guilty on the grounds of mental incompetence.