WA Premier Mark McGowan has stopped short of ordering another lockdown, but is introducing new restrictions after three cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Perth yesterday.
These were the key events on Sunday.
- Perth will not re-enter lockdown after three new community cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the city yesterday
- WA recorded no new cases of community transmission on Sunday
- A crowd of 45,000 fans will not be able to attend the AFL Western Derby at Perth Stadium
- New exposure sites were added to the WA Health Department's list
- Perth and Peel residents will need to keep wearing masks indoors and outdoors
Key events
- New exposure sites added to the WA Health Department's list
- There will be no crowds at the Western Derby this afternoon
- WA is not going back into lockdown
- WA has recorded no new cases overnight
- Here's what we know about the COVID cases detected yesterday afternoon in Perth
- Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan will be stepping up at 10:30am local time (roughly 15 minutes)
Live updates
By Jessica Riga
Now that those announcements are over...
We're going to close the blog here.
Great news for Perth with Premier Mark McGowan announcing they have avoided another lockdown.
Thank you for joining us today, until next time.
By Jessica Riga
Bought tickets to the Western Derby? You'll get a refund
This afternoon's AFL Western Derby in Perth will be played in front of empty stands because of the city's latest COVID-19 scare.
The league said Ticketmaster would provide refunds for any fans who had bought tickets to the game.
The AFL has navigated the opening seven rounds of this season with limited coronavirus-related disruptions, although the Brisbane Lions spent several rounds in Victoria because of a lockdown in their home city.
Another lockdown in Perth would affect the ease of interstate travel in the coming week, delivering a knock-on effect for the league.
By Jessica Riga
What about going back to work?
Is there any advice about going back into the office or working from home?
-Boris
There is. Here's the latest advice according to the WA government.
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People are encouraged to return to work.
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Wear a mask at work, on public transport and when travelling in a private vehicle with people you do not reside with.
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If you are unwell, stay home.
By Jessica Riga
A refresher on when to wear masks
Do you need a to wear a mask outdoors if social distancing is possible.
-Jj
Masks must be worn when you leave your home. Masks are mandatory for indoor public venues, including workplaces and public transport. You can, however, take your mask off when doing vigorous outdoor exercise.
(EDIT: Apologies for my previous reply to this question, it wasn't the latest advice.)
By Jessica Riga
More questions and answers
Is there any changes in Perth as to how many people you can have round your house? With masks of course!
-ffew
There have been no changes to how many people you can have in your home. Indoor private gatherings are currently capped at 30 people — with no requirement to wear masks.
Didn't hear anything about the casino. Is it still open?
-Perth Gambler
According to the latest advice, nightclubs and the casino gaming floor will be closed until at least 12.01am, Saturday 8 May.
What about universities?
-na
Again, there were no mentions of changes to universities so they remain open, with masks mandatory.
By Jessica Riga
Answering your questions
What was he saying about a cooking class?
-Huh?
One of the positive cases attended a cooking school on April 27 and 28. Here's what Mark McGowan said.
"This was Perth College of business and technology. Currently we understand about 20 people were also in that class and they have been contact or are being contacted as we speak, so they can be tested and put into isolation."
"The cooking classmates have not been included in the close or casual contact numbers listed earlier but they will be added once they have been identified by health experts."
Is there any travel restrictions for people travelling to Perth from New Zealand?
-Troy
Hi Troy, there are no restrictions on people coming from New Zealand into Perth. But New Zealand has paused flights from Western Australia.
By Jessica Riga
Queenslanders who visited WA COVID-19 exposure sites must quarantine
People in Queensland who have been to any of the declared exposure sites in Western Australia are being told to quarantine immediately.
"If you are entering Queensland and have been to any of the WA exposure sites at the time specified, you will need to quarantine for 14 days in government-arranged accommodation," said Queensland's Deputy Chief Health Officer Sonya Bennett.
"If you have been to any of these sites and are already in Queensland, you must call 13 HEALTH to discuss your circumstances.
"You must immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine until you receive further instructions from Queensland Health."
By Jessica Riga
New exposure sites added to the WA Health Department's list
Anyone who visited these sites should get tested immediately and isolate until they receive their result.
| Location | Date of concern | Time of concern |
|---|---|---|
| Nollamara: Pharmacy 777 – 84 Hillsborough Drive | 30/04/2021 | 4.00pm – 5.00pm |
| Mirrabooka: Mirrabooka Mosque: Masjid Al Taqwa | 30/04/2021 | 1.15pm – 2.00pm |
| Madeley: Puma – 186 Wanneroo Rd | 30/04/2021 | 11.45am – 12.15pm |
| Banksia Grove: Liberty Fuel, corner of Porrecta link and Pinjar Rd | 30/04/2021 | 10.00am – 10.30am |
| Wanneroo: Brookside Medical Centre | 30/04/2021 | 8.00am – 9.00am |
| Nollamara: Pharmacy 777 – 84 Hillsborough Drive | 29/04/2021 | 6.00pm – 7.00pm |
| Balcatta: Coles – Prime West Northlands Shopping Centre | 29/04/2021 | 4.30pm – 5.15pm |
| Scarborough: Caltex – 74 Scarborough Beach Rd | 29/04/2021 | 1.15pm – 1.45pm |
| Victoria Park: All Night Pizza Cafe | 28/04/2021 | 10.00pm – 12.00am |
| Joondanna: Agha Juice café | 28/04/2021 | 6.50pm – 8.00pm |
| Morley: Event Cinemas – Galleria Shopping Centre | 28/04/2021 | 6.45pm – 7.15pm |
| Balcatta: Coles – Prime West Northlands Shopping Centre | 28/04/2021 | 2.00pm – 3.00pm |
| Balcatta: Smokemart – Prime West Northlands Shopping Centre, | 28/04/2021 | 1.30pm – 3.15pm |
| Balcatta: Northlands Fresh – Prime West Northlands Shopping Centre | 28/04/2021 | 1.30pm – 3.15pm |
| Westminster: Spudshed – Stirling Shopping Centre | 28/04/2021 | 1.30am – 2.30am |
| Westminster: Spudshed – Stirling Shopping Centre | 27/04/2021 | 5.15pm – 6.00pm |
| Victoria Park: Swan Taxi Victoria Park | 27/04/2021 | 1.50pm – 2.45pm |
By Jessica Riga
That's it for the WA COVID-19 update
- WA will not re-enter lockdown after three new community cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Perth yesterday
- No new cases of community transmission have been recorded
- The planned crowd at the AFL western derby has been cancelled
- Perth and Peel residents will need to keep wearing masks indoors and outdoors for now
- Nightclubs are closed until May 8, 12:01am
By Jessica Riga
McGowan says Federal Government's ban on Australians returning from India is 'harsh, difficult, and unusual' but 'we live in unusual times'
"It is very harsh, it is very difficult, it is very unusual but we live in unusual times so yes, I do [support the Federal Government's decision]," he said.
"We are obviously in a dangerous world and we want to make sure we prevent the importation and the spread of the virus within Australia."
"Australia has done extraordinarily well. As outlined the other day, I think we need to actually be very cautious about people leaving Australia.
"4,500, 5,000 people going to India in recent months was clearly a mistake and that is probably added to the pressure of people wanting to return from India and in fact it definitely has.
"I think you need to put everything we do, we need to be cautious but we need to have foresight about what could occur and leaving Australia, particularly going to COVID-19 ravaged countries at this point in time should be an extreme exception."
By Jessica Riga
Will masks hang around for longer in WA?
Premier Mark McGowan said it's a possibility.
"We could see masks become a longer term measure in coming weeks. And that is unfortunate because I know how uncomfortable and difficult it is but it may be one of the measures that we put in place to provide additional detection."
By Jacqueline Howard
No domestic travel to WA has been newly suspended
Has SA Tas other states closed their borders to wa again
-Question
No states or territories have suspended travel to WA in response to yesterday's cases.
They all require anyone who has been to identified exposure sites to isolate and be tested. Individual state and territory websites will have the latest specific advice.
By Jessica Riga
WA's previous snap lockdown has given the state a 'chance to adapt'
When asked if WA is trying to take a different approach to snap lockdown, Premier McGowan said the previous three-day lockdown gave the state a "chance to adapt" but contract tracing will "roll on".
"When these people, the security guard and these two housemates, were in the community, we were in the state of semi lockdown so basically limited activity in the community, limited movement and everyone was wearing a mask and that has given us the opportunity to adapt because we have adapted but our contact tracing will roll on and if we pick up cases, that situation might change".
By Jacqueline Howard
We don't know what strain of COVID yesterday's cases have
Are the new cases in WA a new strain of the virus
-COVID-19 strain
This was asked by a reporter at the press conference, but Mark McGowan simply said he did not have the results of sequencing yet, so we don't know.
By Jacqueline Howard
It is still a mystery how the hotel quarantine worker contracted COVID-19
Premier Mark McGowan said there was no evidence of negligent behaviour by the guard that could have led to them catching COVID-19.
"We have done a review of the CCTV in the area in question. At this point in time, we have not picked up anything that causes us concern in relation to the behaviour of the guard of people in the group.
"As far as we are aware, and the CCTV I am advised, mask wearing was appropriate by the guard in question and there was nothing else that occurred in the area that was unusual.
"What you have seen at other states is exactly the same thing occur. People while masks and everything was done appropriately and somehow people got affected. It just goes to show that sometimes somethings appear to be inexplicable."
By Jessica Riga
Nightclubs to close immediately
Along with no crowds at the Western Derby this afternoon, Mr McGowan has announced nightclubs will close immediately.
"Will will keep monitoring the situation," he said.
"We are not our of the woods just yet."
By Jacqueline Howard
More information on the two housemates who caught COVID from the hotel quarantine worker
Health experts believe they could have been infected from Tuesday 27 April and worked on the 29th and 30th.
"Public health advice is that the risk is low when it comes to food deliveries, given the minimal contact and the requirement to wear masks. Contact tracing teams are working through the restaurant they attended for short periods to pick up food and also delivery points. People will be contacted directly, to be advised about the situation and directed to be tested accordingly," Mr McGowan said.
One of those positive cases also attended a cooking school over the 27th and 28th of April at Perth College of Business and Technology.
About 20 people were in that class and they have been contacted to be tested and put into isolation.
By Jessica Riga
There will be no crowds at the Western Derby this afternoon
"We have made the decision to not permit spectators attend the Derby this afternoon," Mr McGowan said.
"There will be no crowd at this event at Optus Stadium this afternoon."
"I understand people will be disappointed and some people will be frustrated by the decision has been made on health advice and we have tried to communicate this as quickly as possible."
"The game will still go on and of course people can watch it from their own homes stop the decision to have no crowd at the stadium also helps us in preventing possible transmission on public transport."
"Having 45,000 people try to get to Optus Stadium at the same time is too much of a risk, especially as we are still going through the close contacts."
By Jessica Riga
WA is not going back into lockdown
"I want to avoid going into lockdown again," WA Premier Mark McGowan said.
"I know how much it can impact people's lives and businesses but if we need to go back into lockdown we will.
"That decision will be based on the latest health advice."
"But currently, at this point in time, we can avoid a lockdown."
By Jacqueline Howard
WA has recorded no new cases overnight
