Security staff and cleaners at quarantine hotels in WA to be tested weekly for COVID-19

Quarantine hotel staff, including security workers and cleaners, in Perth will be tested weekly for coronavirus.

Security staff and cleaners at Perth’s quarantine hotels will be forced to undergo weekly COVID-19 tests because they are deemed at high risk of contracting the virus.

The new direction has been drafted and WA Premier Mark McGowan said he expected it to be signed and implemented later on Thursday.

“The expectation is later today there will be mandatory testing of security and cleaning staff in our quarantine facilities,” he told reporters.

WA Premier Mark McGowan expects the new direction to be implemented later on Thursday. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

It comes as South Australia began a full lockdown after a worker at one of Adelaide’s quarantine hotels – who was also working at a pizza restaurant – contracted the virus.

“What we saw in Adelaide was an outbreak. It wasn’t picked up quickly enough and therefore they’ve got a pretty major lockdown happening,” Mr McGowan said.

“We’re doing everything we can … to prevent that happening in WA … this is just another measure we’re putting in place to protect our state.”

The Premier said he was not considering telling staff at quarantine hotels that they could not have a second job.

“Saying to people you can’t have a second job is not something we can do,” he said.

But if someone refused to have a test, it was possible they could lose their job.

Mr McGowan said COVID-19 continued to “surprise” everyone.

“No one would have picked South Australia as being where there would be a significant outbreak,” he said.