The number of potential COVID exposure sites has increased substantially today, as WA health authorities retrace the steps of two COVID positive food delivery drivers.
The number of potential COVID exposure sites has increased substantially today, as WA health authorities retrace the steps of two food delivery drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Yesterday, the state government closed Optus Stadium to spectators just hours before the derby and shut down nightclubs after a hotel security guard and two of his housemates tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
The Pan Pacific Hotel security guard, a Nollamara man in his 20s, tested positive for the virus following his weekly PCR test on April 29.
He is believed to have become infectious on April 27.
His seven housemates have also undergone testing, two of whom have since returned positive results. All eight have been placed in hotel quarantine.
Genome sequencing has confirmed that the man, now referred to as case 1001, has the US variant of the virus, the same variant as two returned travellers who had been transferred to the hotel while he was working on April 24. But it is not yet clear how the man contracted the virus.
WA Health authorities have now identified 58 close contacts, 26 of whom have tested negative.
Seventeen of the 58 were participants in a cooking class at the Perth School of Business and Technology that one of the positive cases had attended.
A further 217 casual contacts have been identified, 43 of whom have tested negative for the virus.
All of the contacts are required to undergo the 14-day quarantine.
During a press conference this morning, Premier Mark McGowan revealed that the food delivery drivers picked up food from 76 different locations throughout Perth's northern suburbs; but that health authorities had deemed those interactions “very low risk”.
The 100 people who had received the food delivery are also deemed to be “very low risk”, but will be treated as casual contacts and required to undergo testing and undertake the full 14 days of quarantine.
The outbreak came to light just 15 hours after the interim lockdown restrictions were lifted for those in Perth and Peel, regions plunged into a three-day lockdown after a Melbourne man contracted the virus in hotel quarantine before unknowingly infecting two other people.
With masks still mandatory and restricted movement at the time the guard had been infectious in the community, Mr McGowan said the risk had been somewhat controlled.
The current interim lockdown restrictions are due to expire at 12.01am this Saturday, but Mr McGowan said that would be reviewed as the situation continues to evolve.
Mr McGowan and Health Minister Roger Cook visited the vaccination clinic at the Claremont Showgrounds to receive AstraZeneca vaccine this morning, part of the cohort aged 50 and over now eligible to receive the vaccine.
Mr Cook said the state now had more than 400 people working on WA’s COVID vaccination program and urged the public to get vaccinated when the time comes.
“So far, scores of Western Australians have been vaccinated - the establishment of these state-run community vaccination clinics means many more people can easily get vaccinated," he said.
“With the Kwinana clinic opening today and Joondalup later this month, it’s a further opportunity for people to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.
“To ensure you get your vaccination, please don’t just turn up - it’s essential you make a booking, so vaccination staff can co-ordinate appropriately.”
