Published: 18 April 2020

 Prime Minister Scott Morrison has come under fire after he alleged a North-West health worker who tested positive to COVID-19 was not truthful to health authorities.

Mr Morrison told a Hobart radio station on Friday morning a health care worker in Tasmania was not truthful when providing information on their movements to contact tracers.

Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for North-West Tasmania

But this allegation has not been confirmed by either Premier Peter Gutwein or Public Health director Mark Veitch.

This comes after the nation's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy told a New Zealand committee a coronavirus outbreak at Burnie was linked to an "illegal dinner party" earlier this week, a claim he later retracted.

Murchison independent MLC Ruth Forrest said it was really inappropriate for unsubstantiated claims to be made in such a manner by the Prime Minister.

"It's a really serious claim to make. If someone's broken the law, which is what we're talking about here, he should report that appropriately," Ms Forrest said.

"Since when did we rely on innuendo and rumour as a source of fact?"

Ms Forrest said Mr Morrison's claims were malicious and belittled Tasmanians in general but particularly health care workers.

"It's absolutely shattering to hear our leaders - health and political leaders - in the country demeaning [health workers]," she said.

Labor leader Rebecca White said it was reckless of Mr Morrison to single out one health worker to blame for spreading the virus when this had not been proven.

"[His comments] were irresponsible and again another statement made by a leader in our community based on a rumour," Ms White said.

"It effectively vilified staff in the North-West when they are working under extraordinary pressure.

"This is no time for finger-pointing." Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said the Prime Minister should butt out of state issues.

"It's the second time this week the Prime Minister has stumbled into state affairs, first on schools now this," Ms O'Connor said.

"He's not helping."

When questioned by the media about Mr Morrison's comments, Mr Gutwein said he would not be getting into the matter.

"There is a process here in terms of the contact tracing. If there were an omission obviously as we work our way back through this appropriate steps will be taken," Mr Gutwein said.

"At the end of the day, the person involved needs the opportunity to provide their view on the matter.

"The key thing with this, and again in terms of the comments of Brendan Murphy earlier on in the week, is we have to control this virus."

Mr Gutwein said he discussed this case with Mr Morrison over the phone on Thursday night.

Dr Veitch said neither he or his contact tracing team have provided specific advice to the Prime Minister's office on this case.

"Our contact tracing team did an initial round of contact tracing, asking questions of this person, on Wednesday night and they gave a considerable amount of information," Dr Veitch said.

"At that time, we counted back from the time their symptoms appeared to have started and we declared [the risk period].

"We did learn subsequent to that that they had worked before that period that we thought was the risk period.

"So we went back - this is what we do if we get new information - and we identified that this person may have had some symptoms that started a little earlier in April than we initially anticipated so we threw the net wider over the time where they may have posed a risk while working."

Dr Veitch said health authorities take information on face value when it is given to them.

"We recognise anyone giving information under pressure may omit information or get things wrong," he said.

"We are always willing to go back and check we've got the right story."

The Advocate Friday 17 April, 2020

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