ri

Hong Kong student 'punched for wearing a face mask', accused of having coronavirus

A man is sentenced to two months' jail after assaulting a student from Hong Kong who says he was targeted because he was wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus.




ri

Coronavirus controls leave Tasmanian tourist industry reeling

As Tasmania brings in tough new controls to limit coronavirus infections, tourism and hospitality industries are "hanging on by a thread" and operators are urging locals to support them.




ri

Launceston burial fees proposed to rise by 15pc for fifth consecutive year, funeral directors outraged

If you are hoping to be buried in Launceston's main cemetery, you'll need deep pockets, with the cost of a single plot "skyrocketing" more than 225 per cent in recent years, and it's set to go up again. Why does it cost so much?




ri

'No reason to be frightened': Farmers call for calm amid coronavirus panic buying

Australia won't run out of things to eat and drink, and shoppers have no reason to panic about any shortages as a result of coronavirus, food growers and manufacturers say.




ri

Federal Group to stand down 1,500 Tasmanian staff over coronavirus restrictions

Gaming business Federal Group says it will not have jobs for about 1,500 of its 1,930 Tasmanian workers because of restrictions on the operation of hotels and casinos introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.




ri

Tasmanian coronavirus tally hits 28, with more infected after Ruby Princess cruise

Tasmania records six new cases of coronavirus, with four of those infected being passengers who returned to the state after disembarking the Ruby Princess cruise ship.




ri

Lambie blasts gambling giant for demanding pokies rent during COVID-19 shutdown

Gambling giant Federal Group is demanding Tasmanian pub owners continue paying rent on leased poker machines, even while hoteliers have been forced to close due to coronavirus — a move blasted by Senator Jacqui Lambie as "trying to make a quid" during a "wartime scenario".




ri

Want to help local businesses struggling right now? You have more power than you might think

Small businesses are struggling across Australia as the coronavirus outbreak unfolds. But there are ways you can help keep them going — and stick to social isolation guidelines.




ri

Coronavirus panic buying takes root at nurseries selling food to grow at home

First it was the panic buying of toilet rolls, then staples like rice, pasta and meat — now it's spread to the nursery industry as demand for edible plants and seeds heats up due to coronavirus.




ri

Proposed rental law changes to shield tenants during coronavirus crisis welcomed

Renters in Tasmania could be safe from eviction until at least September under emergency laws to shield them during the coronavirus crisis — with New South Wales tenancy advocates welcoming the development and calling on "all governments" to follow suit.




ri

Nigel's riverfront property dream turned into a nightmare, he says he just wants 'fair' compensation

Nigel Lazenby always dreamed of owning a house with river frontage, but that turned into a nightmare when a landslip wrecked his and other homes along the Tamar River in 2016. Now, Nigel is one of a group of owners who just want "fair" compensation.



  • Housing
  • Disasters and Accidents
  • Landslide
  • Government and Politics
  • House and Home
  • Community and Society
  • Urban Development and Planning

ri

Venue lockdowns drive chicken farmers to crack open alternate avenues of revenue

As coronavirus restrictions tighten and public venues close around the country, egg producers turn to other avenues of income to get by.




ri

Australians urged not to ditch blood donation appointments during coronavirus

Australians are being urged to roll up their sleeves and give blood and plasma despite stricter measures on social interactions in the coronavirus pandemic.




ri

Ella and Thomas were all set to buy their first home when the coronavirus crisis struck

Ella Ross and Thomas Edwards were all set to buy land in southern Tasmania and build their first home until coronavirus put a hold on their plans when they were told their casual work "could not be counted".




ri

'No camping, parties, picnics': Fines for gatherings over 10 as coronavirus ban tightens

Tasmania's Premier has warned the public they face fines of up to $16,800 if they gather in groups larger than 10 people in public or private, from 6:00pm tonight.




ri

Mayday call from small airlines on brink of coronavirus collapse

Australia's smallest regional airlines say their financial survival can be counted in days rather than weeks, as the coronavirus emergency creates heavy turbulence for the industry.




ri

'We just love him': Why this 90-year-old keeps volunteering

Derek Benson says at 90, "you look around and you've lost all your good friends", and that he'll keep volunteering at the Youngtown City Mission near Launceston "for as long as I can stand up and do it".




ri

'It's going to be terrible': Can Australia's smallest state come back from a pandemic?

Once a destination for grey nomads and bus tours, Australia's island state has built its brand into something clean, green and edgy. With 10 per cent of its economy hinging on tourism, Tasmania has a lot to lose.




ri

How one patient in this notorious asylum kept 'power and control'

The deliberate concealment of objects throughout history has been linked to superstition, but for a patient at this notorious psychiatric asylum it was an act of resistance.





ri

How each state will be enforcing the two-person rule on gatherings

The two-person rule will come into effect from midnight on Monday and certain states will use police to deal out hefty on-the-spot fines.




ri

No new coronavirus cases for Tasmania, as both of state's deaths linked to Ruby Princess

No new cases are identified on the day Tasmania records its second coronavirus death, an elderly man in southern Tasmania who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.




ri

Tasmanian coronavirus cases rise overnight as COVID-19-infected tourists' trip probed

A new coronavirus case diagnosed overnight takes Tasmania's tally to 72, as authorities release a list of destinations visited by two interstate travellers who later tested positive for COVID-19.




ri

Fears rescue horses will be euthanased as coronavirus dries up business

Owners of a Tasmanian equestrian facility say they may have no other option as business evaporates, leaving it with dwindling resources to feed and keep 46 horses.




ri

Locked out: Families worry elderly are suffering and starving

Nursing homes have been locked down to protect vulnerable older people from the coronavirus but families who provide basic care, like feeding, say they need access because their loved ones may not survive without it.




ri

One-punch killer 'heartbroken' for suffering caused by nightclub attack that killed academic

A teenager pleads guilty to manslaughter, saying he is "honestly sorry for what I have put everyone through" and admitting he fatally punched a university academic at a Hobart nightclub in 2019.



  • Law
  • Crime and Justice
  • Murder and Manslaughter
  • Courts and Trials

ri

Coronavirus crisis could be Peter Gutwein's finest hour

Leaders show us their true colours during a crisis, and Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein — only in the job three months and following the popular Will Hodgman — is already giving clues as to how he will fare, writes Emily Baker.




ri

Eddie Pridmore had hepatitis in the 1960s. He has a message for the COVID-19 era

A former patient at Launceston's first purpose-built infectious diseases hospital wants Tasmanians to heed the warnings to stay home and stay safe.




ri

Tasmanian hospital coronavirus infection 'a very serious incident'

The Tasmanian hospital where two staff members have tested positive to coronavirus will remain open, authorities say, assuring the public they can be "confident about the care they receive".




ri

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.




ri

Glamorgan Spring Bay council boss quits two weeks into job

Ian Pearce's resignation is the latest to plague a small east coast council, blaming his speedy exit on age, health concerns and union harassment.




ri

Police to target Tasmania's north-west as drive-through coronavirus testing centre opens

A coronavirus outbreak at Burnie's hospital has prompted a plea for Tasmania's north-west residents to do the right thing over the Easter break, as a drive-through testing station opens in Hobart.




ri

Do driving lessons count as 'essential'?

A Victorian teenager learning to drive was hit with a coronavirus-related fine, sparking this question from parents: Can I take my child for a lesson? Here's where each state stands on learner drivers.





ri

'We're still trying to keep going': Companies change business model to keep staff employed during coronavirus

Tasmanian companies keen to keep staff employed are adapting and shifting their business focus by making face shields, hand sanitiser and other products in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.




ri

'Shacks' used to be glorified tents, now they're 'architect-designed showpieces'

In the years after World War II Tasmanians took to the country to buy up vacant land and built makeshift dwellings on their own patches of paradise. Shacks now dot the Tasmanian coastline, but they're not as shabby as their names suggest.




ri

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.




ri

'United in spirit': How locked-down Australians are planning to mark Anzac Day

Kat Jackson does not play a brass instrument, and neither does her eight-year-old daughter, Neve, but they plan to sound the Last Post in their driveway this Anzac Day.




ri

Who am I allowed to visit this Easter weekend with coronavirus restrictions in place?

All over Australia, non-essential travel is being discouraged. But the rules vary state to state, so let's take a look at exactly how far you're allowed to travel and who you're allowed to visit.




ri

Doctor asks people to donate iPads so patients impacted by coronavirus restrictions can contact families

Hospitals across Tasmania have banned visitors, but one Hobart doctor is helping patients stay in touch with their loved ones during coronavirus pandemic by asking people to "donate" their iPads.




ri

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.





ri

A state-by-state breakdown of who did the right thing over Easter

Police around the country issued fines for breaching coronavirus rules over Easter, but overall people followed the rules and stayed home.




ri

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)

ri

More coronavirus cases found in Tasmania's north-west, as death toll rises to six

A 91-year-old woman becomes the sixth Tasmanian to die from coronavirus, as the state's overall tally jumps to 165 cases — with all of the new cases known to be from the disease hotspot of the north-west.



  • Health
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • COVID-19
  • Doctors and Medical Professionals
  • Government and Politics

ri

Seven people charged over alleged 'gathering' on Easter Sunday in Tasmania's north-east

Seven people face charges related to alleged breaches of coronavirus self-isolation directions after police raid a gathering in Tasmania's north-east.




ri

Morrison accuses infected Tasmanian aged care worker of dishonesty

The Prime Minister says north-west Tasmania is a classic example of the need for the Federal Government's coronavirus-tracking app, after he accuses a north-west aged care worker of not telling the truth about their movements and contacts.




ri

'Really strong odds' for wet winter amid hints that climate drivers may finally tip

Warm oceans are encouraging wet conditions for Australia, with the hint of a negative IOD and even a potential La Nina on the horizon.




ri

'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.




ri

Police officer charged with manslaughter over crash that killed pedestrian

A Tasmanian police officer is charged over a car crash that killed a pedestrian from New South Wales earlier this year.