Single Covid case in Western Australia leads to 5-day lockdown for 2 million
(CNN)Parts of Western Australia went into a five-day lockdown Sunday, after a hotel security guard tested positive for coronavirus.
The
Perth metropolitan area and the Peel and South West regions of the
Australian state are now under "full lockdown," Premier Mark McGowan
announced Sunday, with residents only able to leave their homes for
essential shopping, medical needs, exercise, and for jobs that cannot be
done at home or remotely.
Schools,
most businesses, entertainment venues and places of worship are all
closed, and restaurants restricted to takeaway only.
"This
is a very serious situation and each and every one of us has to do
everything we personally can to help stop the spread in the community,"
McGowan said.
The
Perth metropolitan area and the Peel and South West regions have a
combined population of more than 2 million people, with the vast
majority living in the state capital Perth.
The
drastic measures come after a man in his twenties who worked as a
security guard at the Sheraton Four Points, a hotel quarantine facility,
tested positive for the coronavirus. Of the four active cases at the
hotel while the man was on shift, two were carrying the United Kingdom strain and one the South African strain of the virus, which are believed to be more contagious than other variants.
Members of the public attend the Rivervale drive through Covid-19 testing clinic on February 01, 2021 in Perth, Australia.
"We
are told the guard was working on the same floor, as a positive UK
variant case," McGowan said. As the man had worked two 12-hour shifts on
January 26 and 27, it was possible he had contracted the UK strain, the
Premier added, though he said "exactly how the infection was acquired
remains under investigation."
Officials
are calling on all people who visited a specified list of venues on a
certain date to get tested. All close contacts of the man are required
to quarantine for 14 days.
"Western
Australians have done so well for so long but this week it is
absolutely crucial that we stay home, maintain physical distancing and
personal hygiene and get tested if you have symptoms," McGowan said.
With
a population of around 2.76 million, Western Australia has recorded 902
coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, though it currently only
has 12 active cases, according to the state's health department.
Over 800 of the state's confirmed cases are among international
travelers and people who arrived by cruise or other vessel, with less
than 100 locally-transmitted cases in total.
Australia
has recorded a total of 28,811 cases, with 909 deaths, the majority of
which occurred in the southeastern states of Victoria and New South
Wales. The country has shown success in controlling the coronavirus
through stringent lockdowns and tight border controls, with all
international visitors required to undergo testing and quarantine.
Last year, the southern state of Victoria was placed under tight lockdown for almost two months in order to contain an outbreak around the city of Melbourne.
But
while the broader measures were effective, officials in the state faced
criticism for a "hard lockdown" that was enforced against nine public
housing towers in Melbourne. Around 3,000 residents of the towers were
not given advance warning of the lockdown, which prevented them from
leaving their homes for any reason for over five days.
Last month, an official investigation into the restrictions found they "breached human rights," and were not based on direct health advice.
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