WA Premier says the pandemic is ‘very real’ as he slashes international arrivals by half

Western Australia will slash the number of international arrivals allowed into the state by half as Premier Mark McGowan said the pandemic was “very real”.

Western Australia will cut its cap on international arrivals by half for a month from Thursday after Premier Mark McGowan stressed the need to “slow the flow” of returning travellers into the state.

He told a press conference on Sunday the situation was “very real”, the pandemic “will not be going away this year” and expressed his frustration with the Federal Government at its previous refusal to cut international arrivals into WA to “crush” the spread of COVID-19 – something he’d been requesting for a month.

“Currently we have 2156 returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine,” he told media in Rockingham earlier today. “This large number of travellers in our hotel quarantine system is not sustainable.

“And today we’re expecting another four international flights into Perth. The high numbers of returned overseas travellers is putting continued strain and pressure on our hotel quarantine system.

“This is why my request to the Commonwealth Government to reduce the international arrivals cap is vital. If we are to crush the virus, just as we have done before, we need to slow the flow of returning travellers.”

Premier Mark McGowan addressed the media today after the WA government ordered a three-day lockdown. Picture: Tony McDonough/NCA NewsWire

Mr McGowan appeared frustrated while stating he had been asking the Federal Government to halve WA’s arrivals for “at least a month” but said this request had now “been accepted”.

“However, the reduction in our weekly cap will only begin from Thursday morning,” he said. “The reduced cap of 512 per week will stay in place until May 30.”

The Premier said if the Morrison government was unable to assist with proper quarantine facilities, he would be “reluctant to return to the full 1025 per week cap”.

“That weekly number of returning residents is not something that can continue long term without proper Commonwealth quarantine facilities being used,” Mr McGowan said.

“I’ll discuss this further with the Prime Minister and my state and territory colleagues in coming days. I’ll consult with the chief health officer to determine a more appropriate cap number for the longer term.

“Unfortunately, this pandemic will not be going away this year.

“And I need to do everything possible to keep our states safe and prevent community transmission.

“The situation for us right now remains very real. The new case of community transmission highlights how vital this temporary lockdown is.

“We need to give our contact tracers the best chance possible at identifying where these positive cases went and who may have been exposed.”

Mr McGowan dons a face mask while waiting to speak to the press today after a man left hotel quarantine and later tested positive to COVID-19. Picture: Tony McDonough/NCA NewsWire

Perth residents were also urged to frequently check the growing list of COVID-19 hot spots visited by known cases and get tested if they had been there, as no new locally-acquired coronavirus cases were recorded overnight.

Mr McGowan announced the zero result on Sunday afternoon – day two of the three-day lockdown in the metropolitan area and neighbouring Peel region – after multiple venues including a Woolworths, service stations and a kindergarten were added to the hot spot list.

The update comes after a man in his 40s contracted the virus at the Kitchen Inn in Kardinya – where the Victorian man whose positive result sparked the lockdown dined last weekend.

Mr McGowan said the case was “obviously very concerning”.

He said the man had been tested immediately, was working closely with the health department’s contact tracing team to determine public exposure sites and was in hotel quarantine.

“We wish him a speedy recovery,” the Labor leader said.

Some measures will remain in place after the lockdown ends, the Premier says, presumably mandatory mask-wearing. Picture: Philip Gostelow/NCA NewsWire

Authorities believe the Victorian man unwittingly contracted the virus while in quarantine at the Mercure Hotel in the Perth CBD, where he stayed in a room opposite an ill couple who had arrived from India, then spent five days in the community.

There, he infected a female dental clinic employee – Western Australia’s first case of local transmission in more than a year.

The Victorian man had stayed at the woman’s Kardinya home for one night before moving to Saint Catherine’s College at the University of Western Australia.

The woman’s workplace, DB Dental on Canning Highway in Applecross, has been added to the list of public exposure sites visited by the pair since he was released from quarantine on April 17.

The woman, aged in her 40s, unwittingly worked at the clinic from 8am to 6pm on Thursday while infectious.

WA Premier Mark McGowan says more contacts will likely be identified today as the list of hot spots grows. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Her two children have so far tested negative for the virus.

Mr McGowan said health authorities had identified 359 close and casual contacts of the confirmed cases.

Of 303 close contacts, 72 had returned a negative result, as had 13 of 56 casual contacts.

“More contacts will likely be identified today and they will be notified and directed to be tested,” the Premier said.

“We need close contacts and casual contacts – that is, anyone who has visited the exposure locations during the specific times – to be tested.

“So please keep doing the right thing.”

WA recorded one additional case overnight, a man in his 50s who returned from India and is in hotel quarantine.

In total, WA Health is monitoring 31 active cases.

WA Police have charged a 55-year-old Nollamara man who allegedly became abusive and brandished a pocket knife after being told to wear a face mask in public, which is mandatory under the lockdown rules, while they separately advised a 42-year-old man he would be charged for holding a party at his Mullaloo home.

Officers say they spotted 10 cars parked outside the home, from where loud music was emanating, and found partygoers “hiding in the backyard behind various objects and plants”.