Live breaking news: Perth, Peel region plunged into emergency three-day lockdown

The WA Premier mandated a three-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions this weekend after a wave of COVID cases, as New Zealand paused travel with the state.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has mandated a three-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions over the long weekend after a wave of new COVID cases.

The emergency announcement comes amid a COVID-19 outbreak at Perth's Mercure Hotel, with a Victorian man testing positive in Melbourne today after completing 14 days of quarantine a WA hotel.

A pregnant woman and her four-year-old daughter have also tested positive after their stay, having contracted the virus from an infected couple who had returned from India and were staying a room opposite them.

This live blog has now ended. Read on for earlier updates or visit the news.com.au homepage for the latest news.

Updates

9:41 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Victoria shuts border to parts of WA

Victoria has declared the Perth and Peel regions "red zones" under the state's traffic light travel permit system, effective 2am on Saturday.

Victorians returning home from Perth and Peel have to quarantine at home for 14 days, and non-Victorians will have to go into hotel quarantine until a return flight is arranged.

The state's Chief Health Officer said anyone in Victoria who has been in the Perth and Peel regions between April 17 and 23 must isolate, get a test within 72 hours and isolate until a negative result.

Those updates follow warnings earlier today about potential exposure to a COVID-positive case on a Qantas flight to Melbourne and at Melbourne Airport.

Passengers on Qantas flight 778 from Perth to Melbourne on Wednesday, April 21 have been told to get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of their result.

Anyone who visited the Qantas terminal (terminal 1) at Melbourne Airport between 7pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 21 must get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.

The airport time frame has been narrowed since earlier advice from the Department of Health.

9:25 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Sydney Airport arrivals from Perth to be screened

And in NSW, health teams have been sent to Sydney Airport to screen passengers arriving from Perth.

They will be looking for passengers who have been to any of the locations of concern listed by the West Australian government today.

Those people will be told to immediately be tested and self-isolate.

NSW will reflect the stay-at-home restrictions that apply to WA.

9:16 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Queensland tells Perth travellers to get tested

The Queensland government says anyone in the state who has been in the Perth or Peel regions since April 17 must get tested, self-isolate and comply with WA's lockdown restrictions from tonight.

They will have to remain in self-isolation, either at home or arranged accommodation, until 2am on April 27 or as announced by the WA government.

9:13 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

NT declares two WA virus hotspots

The Northern Territory government said people arriving from the Perth and Peel regions from midnight will have to go into mandatory quarantine.

In addition, anyone who was in the Perth and Peel regions and arrived in the NT since April 17, or who arrives before midnight tonight, will have to be tested and self-isolate until they get a negative result.

8:18 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Travel paused between NZ and WA

Flights between New Zealand and Western Australia have been put on pause pending further advice from the WA government.

A flight due to leave Perth for Auckland tonight has been cancelled following the announcement of the three-day lockdown, and there will be no flights tomorrow.

"Air New Zealand flight NZ176 from Perth to Auckland this evening has been cancelled due to the three-day lockdown in Western Australia," an Air NZ spokesperson said.

"Customers are being given the option to rebook, put their flight into credit, or receive a refund if they have purchased a refundable ticket.

"There are no Air New Zealand services to or from Perth tomorrow. We expect to be able to provide further clarity on the impact to Sunday's return service tomorrow afternoon."

New Zealand authorities said Kiwis who are affected by today's announcement should follow the advice of WA authorities.

The pause on flights comes days after the long-awaited launch of quarantine-free travel between Australia and NZ.

8:11 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Three more blood clot cases linked to vaccine

Authorities are investigating three more cases of a rare blood clotting disorder thought to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has reviewed suspected thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in an 80-year-old Victorian man, a 35-year-old NSW woman and a 49-year-old Queensland man.

The 80-year-old man is the first Australian case of TTS in a vaccine recipient older than 50.

All three patients are in a stable condition and recovering.

“The VSIG [Vaccine Safety Investigation Group] concluded that all three of the cases were likely linked to vaccination,” the TGA said in a statement.

“All three patients are clinically stable, have responded well to treatment and are recovering.”

Read more here.

7:50 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Panic buying in Perth as lockdown looms

Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies will be allowed during the three-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions – but that hasn't stopped the panic buying frenzy.

There have been chaotic scenes this afternoon as shoppers swarmed supermarkets across Perth, loading their trolleys with goods like toilet paper, rice and pasta.
Police officers were even called in to monitor the situation at some places.

Absolute chaos down here at Claremont Coles. @westaustralian pic.twitter.com/Q6P2aiRwAB

— Briana Fiore (@briana_fiore) April 23, 2021

Read more here.

7:28 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Warning for visitors to Melbourne Airport

Visitors to Melbourne Airport this week may have been exposed to the man with COVID-19 whose case sparked the lockdown in parts of WA.

Victoria's Department of Health is urging anyone who was in the Qantas terminal (terminal 1) at Melbourne Airport between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 21, to urgently get tested.

They must then isolate until they get a negative result.

The department said the further locations may be classified as exposure sites as investigations continue.

Health authorities are already contacttracing about 250 people on Qantas flight QF778 from Perth to Melbourne on Wednesday.

6:28 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Two found dead in ‘murder-suicide’

Police are investigating after two people were found dead in a Queensland apartment in what is being treated as a horrific murder-suicide.

Officers were first called to the Labrador unit when a 53-year-old man was found dead about 10.20am on Friday.

A second body – believed to be that of a 48-year-old woman – was then found at the residence and a crime scene was declared about 11.40am.

“Police investigations continue, and no further information can be released at this time,” Queensland Police said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

Picture: Glenn Hampson

A post-mortem will be conducted at a later date.

It’s the second tragic murder-suicide to take place in Australia this week.

Nine-month-old baby Kobi Shepherdson was killed by her father in front of horrified witnesses at the Barossa Reservoir’s Whispering Wall at 4.30pm on Wednesday.

When emergency services arrived at the scene, Mr Shepherdson was already deceased and Kobi was unresponsive.

Despite the efforts of witnesses and later paramedics, she was pronounced dead.

– Additional reporting NCA NewsWire

6:21 pm April 23, 2021 Highlight

Premier 'strongly urges' PM to suspend arrivals from India

According to a 7 News report, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, "strongly urging" him to suspend all arrivals from India (including if people have been there in the last 14 days).

Ms Palaszczuk reportedly wrote the ban should apply on all passengers, regardless of whether they arrive to Australia or via another country.

It comes off the back of the PM's announcement post yesterday's National Cabinet meeting that arrivals from India would be reduced by 30 per cent as the country continues to grapple with a surge of COVID-19.