As it happened: WA records no new local COVID-19 cases after as Perth, Peel region and state’s south-west enters hard lockdown

However, he said the hotel quarantine security guard who tested positive at the weekend, sparking the state’s lockdown, had indeed contracted the more contagious UK strain of COVID-19.

Thirteen close contacts had returned negative tests, but 11 were moved into hotel quarantine as an extra precaution. All up, there were 66 close contacts of the man identified, all of whom have been tested, or were due to be tested on Monday.

It’s about this time you’ve probably got a few questions about the different variants of the virus that have popped up around the world – Liam Mannix’s explainer article can help answer those.

AMA WA president Andrew Miller said the 3000 tests carried out overnight was a “great start”, but was disappointed the testing did not continue through the night.

Dr Miller said WA’s testing system had “never really been used before”, and called on the government to improve testing surge capacity to make sure the results they were getting were a true representation of what was out in the community.

Authorities, meanwhile, are looking into how the virus escaped the state’s hotel quarantine system.

“We will leave no stone unturned to ensure we find out exactly what happened to prevent it from happening again,” Mr McGowan said.

While largely accepted by the WA public – even if begrudgingly, and with a splash of panic-buying to boot – the move to lock down the state wasn’t finding a fan in federal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

“In terms of an elimination strategy, it, you know, might be a sort of great political slogan but it’s not a realistic approach to this virus,” he said, suggesting Mr McGowan was being overly cautious due to a looming state election in March.

Mr Dutton said he supported the state decisions on lockdowns but he did not have the medical advice as to why they had occurred.

“Obviously WA has made this decision and it is for Premier McGowan to explain the logic and reasoning,” he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was more diplomatic, saying localised lockdowns were a good way to suppress the virus.

“One of the things you learn, as you go through a pandemic like this, is you don’t get to set the rules. The pandemic tends to write those, and you need to work and adapt to the things as they change,” he said.

Rottnest staff darted door to door, checking all had heard the message, as people who had booked for the week began emptying fridges and throwing a week’s worth of food into whatever receptacles they could find.

Ferry companies immediately began dealing with floods of calls from people wanting to change their ticket times, even as they started mobilising additional vessels to get everyone out by sundown.

Radio 6PR’s Perth Live host Oliver Peterson was on holiday with his wife and toddler and faced an anxious 90-minute queue for the ferry.

“The workers were trying to get home as well,” he said.

“People were taking their clothes off and getting in the water to stay cool.

“I didn’t mind going back, but it was just that fear that comes from the immediacy of it, hearing that the ferries are not an essential service.”

Read Emma Young’s full article here. 

While some have argued that their trips were genuinely necessary for business reasons, many appear to have exploited a business loophole, while millions of people have been confined to their houses and separated from their loved ones. Britain has recorded more than 100,000 coronavirus deaths. In recent days, the British government has vowed to clamp down on those attempting to embark on nonessential trips.

“Technically any influencer can go to Dubai take a few photos and claim it’s work,” wrote one user on Instagram recently. Many others declared they were unfollowing celebrities posting travel photos.

Read the full Traveller article here.