Victoria closes border to parts of WA

Victoria records zero new community coronavirus cases, as the state closed its border to most of Western Australia and set $5K fines for anyone trying to cross the border from a ‘red zone’.

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Victoria has recorded another day of zero community COVID-19 cases.

There is one new case in hotel quarantine, acquired from overseas.

A total of 10,604 tests were taken on Sunday and there are 21 active cases statewide.

Victoria’s 26-day COVID-free streak in the community comes as Western Australia investigates its second suspected coronavirus case in 24 hours.

WA Health is awaiting tests results of a person with a suspected case of coronavirus who had visited a Perth hospital.

On Sunday the city was plunged into a five-day lockdown.

A health worker directs people wanting to be tested for Covid-19 to the end of the queue at Royal Perth Hospital. Picture: Trevor Collens.

$5K FINES FOR ‘RED ZONE’ BORDER HOPPERS

Victoria has slammed its border shut to the majority of Western Australia with authorities warning anyone trying to cross the border from a ‘red zone’ will face a $5000 fine.

Anyone who has visited the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of Western Australia since January 25 will not be allowed to enter Victoria.

Health authorities issued a blunt warning on Sunday night to anyone attempting to board flights to Melbourne on Monday from the newly announced “red zones” that they were not welcome and would be fined if found to be in breach of the rules.

People trying to flout the ban will also be placed in hotel quarantine once they arrive before arrangements can be made to return them to where they came from.

A plane from Perth touched down in ­Melbourne on Sunday evening with passengers unaware of the chaos, but they were the last visitors allowed before the 9pm border shutdown.

Anyone who has come from the red zones since January 25 must now isolate and get tested in Victoria.

Meanwhile, authorities in Canberra scrambled to meet flights to tell passengers to quarantine, including federal politicians on-board.

FIFO workers have also been impacted after flights from Perth to the Pilbara’s iron ore heartland were cancelled for the week.

Police patrol the CDB an hour into the lockdown. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images.

PERTH GOES INTO HARD LOCKDOWN

Perth was on Sunday afternoon plunged into five-day lockdown after a hotel quarantine security guard contracted COVID-19 then went to a large number of locations in the community, not knowing he had it.

WA Premier Mark McGowan held an emergency press conference on Sunday afternoon, revealing WA’s first locally-acquired case in almost 10 months.

He said the male guard aged in his 20s had been working at Four Points by Sheraton in the CBD where there were four active cases, including two of the UK variant and one of the South African mutant strain.

The Maylands resident had tested negative on January 15, 17 and 23 but developed symptoms on Thursday, January 28.

Mr McGowan said it was suspected the man had the highly contagious UK variant as he had worked on the same floor as a case of that strain.

“Exactly how the infection was acquired remains under investigation,” the Premier said.

“We suspect he contracted the illness on the Tuesday or the Wednesday.

“We are advised that he may have been a driver for one of the rideshare companies.

“The last day he worked in the hotel was Wednesday, but we are advised, and this is being carefully followed up, that he did not do any other work in the time since.”

The guard worked at Four Points by Sheraton in the Perth CBD. Picture: Supplied

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the man was potentially infectious while out in the community, listing multiple businesses in Maylands he had been to as well as the Perth Convention Centre.

“Something did go wrong and we do need to get to the bottom of it,” Mr Cook said.

“It is a serious situation and that is why we invite everyone to undertake the measures that we are all familiar with, that we undertook during March and April last year.

“For five days … just make sure that we take the opportunity to get on top of this situation.”

The man shares a unit with three other people who have so far returned negative results – but that will likely change.

“We put them into hotel quarantine, because the chances are they will subsequently term positive,” Mr McGowan said.

WA chief health officer Andy Robertson said the man was probably infectious from January 26.

The lockdown applies to the Perth, Peel and South West regions and begins at 6pm WST on Sunday, running until 6pm on Friday.

The man developed symptoms five days after he was last tested. Picture: Richard Wainwright/AAP

“People in the Perth, Peel and South West regions need to stay inside their region for the next five days, unless for an essential reason,” the Premier said.

Those are: shopping for essentials like groceries and medicine, to receive medical care, exercising within your neighbourhood with one other person for one hour per day and working when doing so from home is not possible.

Wearing a mask at all times outside, while working indoors and on public transport is mandatory.

Mr McGowan strongly encouraged anyone currently in the Perth, Peel and South West areas who are from another WA region to stay put.

“Do not travel further outside of this area until the lockdown is over,” he said.

“If you do need to travel outside the region you are in now, that can only occur if you need to return to your place of residence.”

Pubs, bars and clubs, gyms, indoor sporting venues, playgrounds, skate parks, outdoor recreational facilities, places of worship, libraries and the Crown casino are among venues that must close.

Large queues formed outside pharmacists in Perth soon after the five-day lockdown was announced.

Restaurants and cafes can provide takeaway service only and just 10 people can attend funerals.

Weddings are cancelled.

No visitors are permitted to homes unless caring for someone vulnerable or in an emergency, and no visitors will be allowed into aged care homes and hospitals unless there are exceptional circumstances.

School was due to start on Monday but that has now been put on hold.

Mr McGowan said international arrivals would continue for now.

“We currently have half capacity, 512 Australians returning per week,” he said.

“It alleviated the pressure on our hotels.

“In this circumstance it didn’t help us.

“Obviously we’ll see what happens over the course of the coming week, whether we need to make a request to the federal government for that continued reduction to continue for a longer period of time.”

Perth residents immediately descended on shops, with large queues forming outside pharmacists.

“Do not do panic shopping,” WA Police commissioner Chris Dawson urged.