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

Key points: Hospital staff and their households have to go into quarantine for two weeks

Hospital staff and their households have to go into quarantine for two weeks Peter Gutwein announced new restrictions on retail stores in the state's north-west

Peter Gutwein announced new restrictions on retail stores in the state's north-west Police will pay "special attention" to the north-west region, checking that people comply with the quarantine measures

All staff and members of their households — more than 1,000 people — will go into quarantine for two weeks.

The hospitals are shut from 7:00am Monday for a deep clean.

"I'm sorry that we've needed to do this, but at the end of the day we need to get on top of this," Mr Gutwein said.

"We need to ensure that we can crush this virus and its source."

State Health Commander Kathryn Morgan-Wicks said the decision to temporarily close the North West Regional Hospital was not taken lightly.

"I want to be clear that closing a hospital is not something that we do lightly and it is something that has not been done in Tasmania in our living memory," she said.

Patients from the North West Regional Hospital will be sent to the Mersey Community Hospital, but a "limited few" patients will be sent to other hospitals in the state that can provide the care they need.

Patients that will be transferred include those in the Spencer Clinic, medical and surgical wards.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said treatment plans for cancer patients had been reviewed and patients would be contacted so their care could continue.

Ms Courtney said it was a very "stressful" and "anxious" time for the hospital staff and patients, but the "unprecedented" measures were necessary to limit the outbreak.

"This gives us the best chance of stamping out the virus in this community," she said.

Of the coronavirus 144 cases in Tasmania, 72 are linked to the north-west coast and 43 are healthcare workers at the hospitals.

Five people have died of coronavirus in the state, with the latest death confirmed this morning.

'Stronger' measures on retail stores

Mr Gutwein also announced restrictions on retailers in the north-west region from midnight Sunday.

The areas that the new, "stronger" measures apply to include Latrobe, Kentish, Devonport and Central Coast, Burnie, Wynyard, Waratah, Circular Head and the West Coast.

Under the restrictions, all businesses except for those offering medical services as well as pharmacies, supermarkets, businesses providing food, takeaway businesses, bakeries, service stations, laundromats, dry cleaners, newsagents, bottle shops, car repairers, banks and veterinary services will have to close for two weeks.

All businesses are allowed to continue with online services, if they can arrange home deliveries.

K-Mart, Target and Harvey Norman will have to close, while hardware store Bunnings will remain open for trade customers only.

Local government services will continue to operate, as determined by each local council.

"I would hope that at the end of this two-week period that we will be able to lift some of these restrictions," Mr Gutwein said.

"We will keep it under review and, again, it will be determined by whether or not there is community transmission across the north-west coast.

"It is important that we do everything that we possibly can to stamp this out right now and I make no apologies for the measures we are putting in place.

"They are firm, some people will see them as being harsh, but we need to get on top of this."

Mr Gutwein said the police would pay "special attention" to the areas in the north-west.

He said hundreds of people had been questioned by the police, and 23 people had been arrested for breaching the rules.