Partial opening for lakes, parks and Corumbene

CORUMBENE Care, the Derwent Valley Council and Hydro Tasmania have today announced a partial reopening of facilities in line with the State Government's "Roadmap to Recovery" from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In New Norfolk the council has reopened the Esplanade and Tynwald Park for exercise purposes. The playgrounds at both locations remain closed. The clifftop walk between Tynwald Park and the Esplanade has also reopened, but the footbridge at the Wetlands is closed for repairs.

"Please note the footbridge at the bottom of Tynwald Park remains closed for upgrade works so if you enter the wetlands from the clifftop area, you will need to go back up and return the same way," a council spokesman said. New gravel pathways and wheelchair accessible ramps are part of this upgrade.

COVID-19 IMPACT IN THE DERWENT VALLEY

All other Derwent Valley Council parks and reserves are now open for exercise including fishing, dog walking and hiking. Exercise remains limited to two people, except for members of the same household.

Corumbene nursing home in New Norfolk also reopened to visitors today, with the following limits in place to continue to protect residents from the coronavirus:

• Visitors must call ahead to arrange a time;
• One visit (up to two people) per resident each week;
• Visits to be in the resident's own room, or in a designated area;
• All visitors must have had an influenza vaccination.

Corumbene will permit additional visits for the purpose of end-of-life support, or if requested by the home to provide essential support to reduce a resident's distress or confusion as a result of a medical condition.

Corumbene will screen all visitors on arrival and people should not visit if they have a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees, or if they have been overseas or interstate in the previous 14 days, or if they have been in contact with a person known or reasonably suspected to have Covid-19. Click here for more information.

Lakes managed by Hydro Tasmania have reopened for day-use by people who live in the municipality in which the lake is located. Other recreation and exercise on Hydro Tasmania land is limited to those places within 30km of your primary residence. Social distancing, hygiene and gathering size restrictions apply.

Hydro Tasmania lakes and associated facilities (including boat ramps) are now open to the public for day use in the Upper and Lower Derwent Valley, Central Plateau, West Coast, North-West and North. Hydro campgrounds and toilet blocks in those areas remain temporarily closed to the public until further notice. Visitor sites also affected include: Waddamana Power Station Heritage Site, Lake Margaret Power Station tours, Trevallyn Power Station tours and Tarraleah Penstock Lookout access. Click here for more information.

Restrictions on gatherings remain in effect in Tasmania to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in the community. Tasmanians should stay at home unless they need to be away from home:

• shopping for supplies or services; or
• undertaking personal exercise; or
• attending medical, or health care, appointments or for medical treatment; or
• providing social support, or care, to another person (including compassionate needs, or to facilitate shared parenting arrangements, guardianship or care arrangements for another person); or
• attending school or study, if unable to be performed at the person’s home; or
• attending work, or volunteering, if unable to be performed at the person’s home; or
• seeking veterinary services for an animal; or
• providing reasonable measures, within the meaning of the Animal Welfare Act 1993, required to ensure the welfare of an animal that the person has in his or her care or charge; or
• performing essential maintenance, or security inspections, of another premises owned, or occupied, by the person; or
• launching a boat, if the boat is launched within the municipal area in which the primary residence of the person is located; or
• attending another location if you have a reasonable excuse, in the opinion of the Director of Public Health or his or her delegate, to attend the location.

Click here to enlarge.

These rules apply to indoor and outdoor gatherings, with a rule of two persons to be applied, except for gatherings of household members, those in shared parenting arrangements, guardianship arrangements or other care arrangements.

This means in the home, only two extra visitors are permitted at any one time (this may increase to five visitors from May 18). Outside the home, you may be with the people who live in your household, or if leaving the home alone, you may meet one other person to comply with the maximum group size of two people.

There are exemptions to the two person rule, including to allow more than two people in a private vehicle, in passenger transport, on a ferry service or vessel, at a medical, health or veterinary service, for the purpose of emergency services, at permitted businesses (eg supermarkets, pharmacies), at work (except if your venue or service is prohibited) and at school, childcare or educational institutions.

For more information about the Roadmap to Recovery visit https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/roadmap-to-recovery