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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.




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Fresh food out, medical supplies in: $170m COVID-19 package clears exporters for take off

The Australian Government will launch hundreds of flights to deliver fresh produce to key international markets as part of a big-spending boost for exports.




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Warning to supervise students not at school after reports of groups of kids at shopping centres

For the first time in about a fortnight Tasmania has had no new positive coronavirus tests, but the Premier says that's no reason to relax while warning parents to supervise children not at school.




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Tasmanian tiger quest catches eye of Vice documentary makers

If an animal is declared extinct more than 80 years ago, most people would assume it no longer exists — but Neil Waters is not one of those people. Now, documentary filmmakers are interested in his quest.




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How the humble mushroom may soon help protect you (and your deckchair) from the sun

Researchers in Adelaide are working on turning mushroom waste into items like sunscreen, skincare products and coating for outdoor furniture.




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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.




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Race meets, sex work, garage sales banned under latest COVID-19 measures

Sex work, food vans at farmers' markets and race meetings are some of the latest activities banned by Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein, as part of the ongoing effort to slow the spread of coronavirus in the state.




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'We're in a bit of a tight spot': Meet the workers who can't get the wage subsidy

Because Niall Harden and Sarah Wyllie are not permanent residents, they are not entitled to the Government's new JobKeeper payment, which also excludes casuals who have not been with an employer for more than 12 months.




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Tour company worker ill after hosting coronavirus-infected pair

One of the latest cases of coronavirus in Tasmania is an employee of a local tour company that hosted two interstate travellers who, after leaving the state, were found to be ill with the disease.




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Doing video calls? You probably need to read this — or know someone who does

The likes of Zoom, Skype and Hangouts have brought an added layer of awkward delays and pixelated faces to our meetings, staff briefings and catch-ups. But there are ways to make the experience less painful and more productive.




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Wool market plummets as shoppers stay home in their activewear

It's been another tough week for the embattled industry, with a key indicator falling sharply and consumers expected to swap business suits for athleisure wear amid the coronavirus crisis.




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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

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'Members feel they aren't going through it alone': Memes make way for coronavirus support

The members of Facebook group Hobart Gal Pals are now asking questions about hand cleaning and self-isolation, and Chit Chat Launceston members want to know who they can visit, as a feeling of community is staying alive during coronavirus self-isolation.




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Wreck of 180-year-old ship unlocks secrets of early Australian boatbuilding

A ship that sank in 1852 off Rye in Victoria has given archaeologists new insights into early Australian boatbuilding.




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'The safest place to be': Backpackers find refuge in rural Australia following visa decision

Backpackers sacked after bars and restaurants closed down due to coronavirus are flocking back to previous farm jobs, but employers want details on Government help with quarantine measures.




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Three new coronavirus cases take the state's total to 89

Three more cases of coronavirus in Tasmania are confirmed with two of those from the north-west, as investigations into an outbreak at the North West Regional Hospital continue.




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Visitors banned from hospitals in Tasmania's north-west due to coronavirus outbreak

Two more staff at the North West Regional Hospital test positive to coronavirus, taking the total to six, prompting a ban on visitors to the facility as well as the Mersey Community Hospital.




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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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Regional Express pins hopes on federal funding to keep flying

Regional Express Airlines has warned the folding of its services to some regional and remote communities could effectively shut residents off from the rest of Australia, as the company waits hopefully for vital federal government funding.




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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.




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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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'It shocks us back into realisation': Residents of Tasmania's north west brace for lockdown

Residents are finding ways to cope as a full lockdown looms over the region, with one woman banging pots and pans in support of essential workers, while another considers whether to shut up shop.




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Police to use helicopters, door knocks and numberplate scanners to check for coronavirus compliance

With helicopters in the air, police patrols of holiday destinations and numberplate scanning, leaders around the country warn there will be no tolerance for breaches of the strict self-isolation measures.




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How can I watch an Easter or Passover service this weekend?

Churches and synagogues across Australia are offering their services online and many are live streaming. Here's a list of the major services around the country this weekend.





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'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.




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'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.




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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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'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.




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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.




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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.




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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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Tasmania closes two hospitals to 'stamp out' coronavirus outbreak

Tasmania's Premier Peter Gutwein says the North West Regional Hospital and North West Private Hospital in Burnie close today because of the coronavirus outbreak.



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

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Two Tasmanian hospitals to close to contain north-west outbreak

Tasmania’s Premier Peter Gutwein has announced the North West Regional Hospital and North West Private Hospital in Burnie will close because of the coronavirus outbreak. All staff and their households will go into quarantine. That’ll involve more than one thousand people.



  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)

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Are pharmaceutical companies likely to profiteer from coronavirus?

With the global death toll now at more than 100,000, there is an urgent need for a coronavirus vaccine. But will pharmaceutical companies be tempted to put profits before patients?




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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.




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Huon from Tasmania asks how long will the COVID-19 situation go on for?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has answered questions from kids around Australia on the coronavirus pandemic on ABC Me's Behind The News program.



  • Government and Politics
  • Epidemics and Pandemics

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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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Peter Gutwein says claims a coronavirus outbreak started after a dinner party are a rumour

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says the Chief Medical Officer's claims that the north-west Tasmanian coronavirus outbreak started with a dinner party of health workers are a rumour that will be followed up.



  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)
  • Doctors and Medical Professionals

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Staff at coronavirus-hit Tasmanian hospital angry over lack of PPE, flouting of social distancing

Medical staff working in a coronavirus hotspot in Tasmania's north-west say a relaxed attitude towards hand hygiene and social distancing made it a "slow-motion disaster waiting to happen".



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


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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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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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Shipping company owner unlikely ever to face charges over 59 cattle deaths

An animal cruelty case against Tasmanian shipping identity Les Dick, who has cancer, is adjourned after he agrees not to be involved in livestock transport for five years.




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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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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.




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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.




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When Bill Krist set off for hospital, the car turned left, and into a coronavirus outbreak

The widow of a north-west Tasmanian man who died of coronavirus pays tribute to her late-husband, calling him her "soulmate".