After 10 months of no Covid-19 community transmission in Western Australia, grey nomads have become used to being able to travel inside that state with few restrictions.
But that has all changed with the shock news that a quarantine hotel security guard has tested positive for the virus. It is feared that the man, aged in his 20s, could have contracted the highly contagious UK strain of the virus.
Contact tracing is under way to determine any possible close contacts of the confirmed case, and the government has crafted a list of venues and places the guard visited before he was diagnosed.
Now, most West Australians will go back into full lockdown for an initial five- day period. People living in the Perth metropolitan area, as well as the Peel region and the South West, are affected … about 80% of WA’s population. They will not be allowed to leave their home for anything other than buying essential supplies, attending health-related appointments, exercising within their neighbourhood or going to work if they cannot work remotely.
They will be required to wear a mask at all times and won’t be allowed to have any visitors at home unless they are caring for a vulnerable person or it’s an emergency.
The state government has urged people to refrain from travelling between those regions, with several checkpoints to be set up from Monday to ensure only essential workers are allowed through.
“This is a very serious situation, and each and every one of us has to do everything we personally can to stop the spread in the community,” said WA Premier Mark McGowan. “We have acted decisively and swiftly in these circumstances … in effect, for a short period of time, we are going back to what we experienced in March and April of last year.”
No further border restrictions have been put in place as a result of the lockdown. Mr McGowan said the decision would be up to each individual state’s premier.
Eased border restrictions with Victoria and Queensland announced on Saturday will continue to go ahead during the week as planned.
West Australians, including those in regions outside of the lockdown area, have been urged to stay at home and avoid interstate travel.
It was only 2…3 weeks ago the all wise Wa premier
Was quite rudely telling NSW to get the virus under
Control
Well well who is in lock down now
The virus has no limits
Not quite how I understood the stoush. NSW wanted all borders open even though there was an outbreak in NSW. WA closed borders, saying get the virus under control before we let you guys in, which has been their approach for 10 months. NSW deputy pm has a big mouth. Inevitably perhaps, there is now an outbreak in WA and everybody is scrambling to get it under control, but the WA Premier has said he has no problem with other states closing their borders to people from WA until it is under control. Perfectly consistent and reasonable. I see no reason for gloating by anybody.