Three years ago this week, Southern Tasmania was placed under a snap three-day lockdown as a result of a quarantine breach by a man who had tested positive to the Delta variant of COVID-19.
It was the first and only formal COVID lockdown in Tasmania, with the state otherwise ‘riding out’ the pandemic with relatively minimal restrictions.
The lockdown across greater Hobart was initiated at 6pm on October 15, 2021 after the 31-year-old from Albury in New South Wales escaped from a quarantine hotel and roamed the community for around 18 hours.
Police were able to locate the man the following day, but he was uncooperative in tracing his contacts.
The man had initially lied to officials, falsely stating that he had been in Queensland for the previous 14 days, when he had actually been in New South Wales.
He had also breached a family violence order by travelling to Tasmania to see a woman who held the order against him.
The lockdown affected several local government areas, including Brighton, Central Highlands, Clarence, Derwent Valley, Glamorgan–Spring Bay, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huon Valley, Sorell, Southern Midlands, Tasman and Kingborough.
The man responsible for the lockdown was later sentenced.
He received five months in jail, with two suspended, for the COVID breaches and a further five months, with two suspended, for violating the family violence order.
Both sentences were backdated to the day he was taken into custody on October 26 and he was also fined $1,500.
Under the snap lockdown restrictions, it was made mandatory for anyone over the age of 12 south of Tunbridge to wear a face mask when they left home.
Southern Tasmanians were only permitted to leave home for urgent household supplies within 5km, health and medical appointments and exercise outdoors within 5km of their homes for up to two hours, either alone or with other household members.
Permitted workers were allowed to continue working and their children were able to attend school if they were unable to learn from home.
Indoor and outdoor gatherings were banned, with no more than 10 guests allowed to attend funerals.
Weddings were prohibited unless they were permitted for compassionate reasons and could only be attended by five people.
Home visits were banned and cafes and restaurants were restricted to takeaways only.
Beauty parlours, gyms and hairdressers were closed, most retail businesses beside supermarkets were shut down and construction was halted for three days, except for emergency needs or repairs.
Visits to aged care facilities and hospitals were restricted.
Tasmanians returning from New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT were unable to quarantine in the south of the state and those returning from low-risk locations were required to remain at home during the lockdown period.
See more of the Pulse archive photos from the lockdown in October 2021:
