- Several states have shut their border to Perth after a hotel quarantine worker in the city tested positive for COVID-19
- Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory enacted new border restrictions for WA on Sunday and Monday
- Additionally, the ACT, Tasmania and NSW have asked all WA residents arriving to the state and territories to self-isolate and get tested
- Back in Perth, thousands of residents are lining up in 38-degree heat to get tested as the infected worker visited over a dozen sites across the city
- It’s believed the man may have contracted the highly contagious U.K. strain of COVID-19, prompting the strong response from the WA Government
- Under the lockdown, masks must be worn at all times when in public, while resident are instructed to stay home unless shopping for essentials or seeking medical care
A number of states and territories have shut their border to Perth after the city and surrounding regions were placed in lockdown after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for COVID-19.
The lockdown came into effect on Sunday night and since then Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory have enacted new border restrictions meaning travellers from WA will need to apply to enter the areas.
Additionally, the ACT, Tasmania and NSW have asked all WA residents arriving to the states and territories to self-isolate for up to two weeks and get tested.
Back in Perth, thousands of residents have begun lining up outside COVID-19 testing sites in extreme heat as the number of potential infection sites across the city grows even further.
The infected worker visited over a dozen sites across the city last week and anyone who was attended the venues at those times is being asked to present at designated COVID-19 clinics for testing.
It’s believed the man in question may have contracted the highly contagious U.K. strain of COVID-19, prompting the WA Government to order around two million residents into a hard lockdown.
Under the lockdown, residents are only allowed out for essential shopping, work, compassionate care or for seeking medical care and masks must been work at all time in public, including indoors.
Western Australians in Perth, the Peel region and the South West region are now under five-day lockdown. People in…
Posted by Mark McGowan on Sunday, January 31, 2021
Pubs, gyms, schools, some beaches and retail shops have all been closed – with residents only allowed out for one hour of exercise a day within their local area.
Since the lockdown was announced yesterday afternoon, grocery stores, shopping centres and pharmacies have been inundated with residents stocking up on essentials and masks.
Several of the leading grocery chains have implemented limits on essential items in a bid to stop shelves from being emptied.
Additionally, most stores have introduced limits on the number of customers allowed in store during the lockdown, leading to long lines outside the venues.
At this stage, the lockdown in Perth, the Peel region and the South West is set to last until 6pm AWST on Friday, February 5.
The lockdown may change depending on the results of the infected quarantine worker’s genome testing as well as whether or not anyone else in the region tests positive for COVID-19.