Don't get complacent: McGowan

Premier Mark McGowan has confirmed that Western Australia’s five-day lockdown restrictions are on track to be eased at 6pm tomorrow after the state recorded no new locally acquired cases for the fourth consecutive day.

The state government will convene a meeting of the State Disaster Council this evening to determine how the state should move forward beyond Friday.

The state is now four days into a five-day lockdown of the Perth metropolitan, Peel and South West regions after a hotel security guard at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Perth's CBD contracted the highly contagious UK strain of COVID-19 from a returned overseas traveller.

The guard, a man in his 20s, had been stationed about three metres from the room of the returned traveller, but it is not believed the pair had direct contact.

Health authorities believe the man became contagious on January 25, after which he visited up to 18 locations across the metropolitan area.

More than 40,500 Western Australians have presented for testing since the lockdown began on Sunday, including the majority of the man’s 191 close contacts, who are now in quarantine.

All of those contacts are expected to undergo a second test today.

The man’s four closest contacts have been tested again for the virus, having returned their second negative result.

Mr McGowan said he expected a gradual easing of restrictions from 6pm on Friday, provided no new cases were recorded overnight.

He said the news was a remarkable achievement, but urged the public to stay the course and not to get complacent.

The investigation into how the man could have contracted the virus is ongoing, with public health officials expected to provide a full report on the incident in the coming days.

The state did, however, record two new overseas cases, both of whom are in hotel quarantine.

More to come.