Senator Jacqui Lambie has suggested Tasmania close its borders to protect people from the coronavirus.

Key points: Senator Jacqui Lambie has suggested Tasmania close its borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus

Senator Jacqui Lambie has suggested Tasmania close its borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus In 1919, Tasmania closed its borders during the Spanish flu outbreak

In 1919, Tasmania closed its borders during the Spanish flu outbreak Experts says it is not rational, or economically wise, to do that now

"It's like we're an island state, do we get smart and close the border? Somebody needs to make decisions," she said.

But could closing Tasmania's borders from outsiders really protect against COVID-19?

The answer lies in history and dates to the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak.

Tasmania is remembered for instituting some of the strictest quarantine procedures across the world, but it did not start out that way.

Schoolteacher Craig Carnes wrote his thesis on how Tasmania coped with the Spanish flu outbreak.

He said at the height of the outbreak one of the quarantine requirements was that only three men could enter a pub at any one time and only for five minutes.

It is said to have led to the birth of the practice of skolling a beer because drinkers only had a short window to down their brew.

"People got their beers and tried to skol as many as they could," he said.

While it's known as the 1918 flu, in fact, the Spanish flu did not hit Australia until 1919 — and Tasmania that August.

"At the time, Tasmania was still fairly isolated from the mainland," Mr Carnes said. "It was a village type of scenario with a local grocery store and no supermarkets."

He said the Walter Lee government was "totally unprepared".

"The government simply massaged the public by saying things like 'Stay indoors, it will pass quickly,' but it did not," he said.

"Supplies ran out very quickly and the Tasmanian government was the first to import it all from the mainland."

Bruny Island became quarantine party island

One of the measures enacted by the government to try to protect the state was to quarantine soldiers returning from World War I at Barnes Bay on Bruny Island. Some were also put up the old Claremont Hospital.

Troops had to live there for seven days and survived with the help from organisations like the YMCA and Red Cross, which supplied tobacco and lollies.

But with so many years away at war, quarantine quickly developed a party atmosphere.

"It was like a resort," Mr Carnes said.

But for some, being so close and yet so far from home was too much.

"There was a lot of angst going on because they were so close to Hobart," Mr Carnes said.

"Gunner Yates, he was charged with inciting mutiny for trying to break away off the island."

The public was very aware of the impending threat, with reports of the millions dying overseas reaching Tasmanian shores.

Soon enough the flu found its way to the island with the niece of a New Norfolk councillor succumbing to the illness in Sandy Bay.

"We don't know what contact she had to get it," Mr Carnes said.

The virus spread and there were no victory parades for returning soldiers as authorities tried to lock down the state.

"It mainly killed young people," Mr Carnes said.

"Whole families were found dead. They could die overnight."

Quarantine stations were set up in Tasmania. ( Supplied: National Archives of Australia )

Crackdown on public gatherings

Churches divided Hobart into 13 areas and ministers visited people.

There they discovered some of the squalid conditions the city's poor were living in and busted beliefs about Hobart being a garden city.

"This was hugely emotional after the losses in World War I," Mr Carnes said.

"The religious authorities really stepped up."

More public health measures followed, schools were closed and people stayed inside as the government cracked down on public gatherings.

"The public were forced to wear masks if they if they went out," he said.

"People used to still get the tram but they would hold onto the outside.

"They were even thinking about legislation to punish people if they were caught sneezing outdoors."

The one institute that stayed open was the University of Tasmania.

Among the horror of the ensuing months, there were lighter moments.

"The masks became fashionable, they had different colours and so on," Mr Carnes said.

"The feeling was that it was the End of Days, there were festivities and parties."

The government cracked down on public gatherings during the outbreak. ( Supplied: National Archives of Australia )

Virus spreads and so do myths

There were also plenty of myths and rumours that began to circulate.

"There was one that the virus came through the mail and they wanted the post office fumigated," Mr Carnes said.

"Doctors were recommending smoking would be good for you."

There was also a booming black market for oranges because people believed it would stave off the illness.

All up, about 40 per cent of Australians got sick with Spanish flu and about 15,000 died.

The death rate in Australia — 2.7 per 1,000 people — was considered low compared to Europe.

Tasmania's death rate was one of the lowest recorded worldwide, and the final death toll was 171.

But the University of New South Wales public health and infectious diseases expert, Holly Seale, said closing the borders in Tasmania today would not be effective or wise.

"If we were to put a quarantine on anyone entering Tasmania, that would have quite a lot of knock-on effect on the economy and tourism," she said.

The Tasmanian government in 1918 told people to "stay indoors, it will pass quickly". ( Supplied: National Archives of Australia )

Dr Seale said there were other strategies to consider.

"Back in 1918, they didn't have the level of knowledge that we have today," she said.

"They also wouldn't have had other kind of strategies that we can put into place — making sure people maintain good hygiene, that we can implement school closures if need be."

She said even if Tasmania wanted to close the borders to stop the virus from spreading, with one confirmed coronavirus case in the state already, it was too late.

"It would really depend how early it was put into place and how strictly it is utilised," she said.

"If you leave it too late to implement it, then really it's going to have very limited effectiveness."

Infectious diseases and vaccines expert Michael Wallach from the University of Technology Sydney warned against overreacting.

"Human-human transmission has already started … once it's there, you probably have more than one case anyway," he said.

"It's a bit panicky and overreacting what's going on."