The Telegraph
Coronavirus returns to Australia while Perth shuts down for five days
Australia’s two-week run with no cases of Community Covid transfer has come to an end, after the infection of a hotel security guard in Perth caused a five-day lockdown. On Sunday afternoon, officials in Western Australia announced that a hotel security guard had tested positive for Covid-19, speculating that the man may have also worked as a ride driver. “I know this will come as a shock to many Western Australians … Western Australians have done so well for so long, but this week it is absolutely crucial that we stay at home, keep physical distance and keep personal hygiene, and get tested or you have symptoms, ”said Mark McGowan, the Prime Minister of Western Australia. The man is believed to have contracted one of the new more contagious strains of Covid-19, such as the UK and Brazil variants. The revelation that the infected guard may have also worked as a drive driver and angered some Australians. They pointed out that the use of loose guards in multiple locations is a driving factor behind Melbourne’s disastrous second wave in 2020. Mr. McGowan announced that the Labor Party would suspend its election campaign due to the lockdown, with voters going to the polls on March 13. Opposition leader Zak Kirkup suspended the Liberal Party’s campaign and appeared to support the government’s strategy in a brief statement. through this earlier and we will do it again. Stay calm. Follow the advice. Keep each other safe. The coming days will be difficult, ”he wrote. The government announced that schools, starting on Mondays, would remain closed and that bars, pubs, restaurants and many other public places would be closed from 6pm Sunday evening. The town’s popular Fringe festival, mid-run, is closing and Australia’s domestic T20 competition now faces uncertainty. All employees are advised to work from home if possible and people should wear masks when leaving home. The restrictions apply to the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West. Western Australia had a relatively quiet 2020, with a combination of luck, geographic isolation, a brief lockdown and strict border controls to prevent a serious coronavirus outbreak. In all, of nearly 2.8 million people, the state has recorded just 903 cases of Covid and nine deaths.