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No new cases of COVID-19 in WA, with security guard’s 527 contacts initially cleared
By Aja Styles
Virus testing in Western Australia has plunged, with less than one-quarter of those once tested now getting swabbed, as the state records its eighth day of zero new local coronavirus infections.
Fears have abated over the spread from the state’s one positive case in the community despite it being the highly infectious UK variant of the virus and a list of 18 potential exposure sites.
Contact tracing around the Four Points hotel security guard, known as case 903, identified 527 close and casual contacts, “who have all have now returned at least one negative test result”, according to WA Health.
Case 903 also worked for a ride share company.
Premier Mark McGowan announced on Monday that quarantine hotel security officers would no longer be able to work a second job and government contracts with the four security companies that provided those services at the nine quarantine hotels would be varied, with letters sent out.
“As of today one company has returned and executed a signed contract and we expect another will be finalised later today,” he said.
“Under the contracts all employees are required to end secondary employment over coming days – we expect to resolve those matters fully over coming days.”
Health Minister Roger Cook said the government was also awaiting advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on whether to introduce a 16th day test for returned travellers.
Testing across the state plunged to 3555 people on Sunday, down from 16,490 people swabbed on the first day of lockdown last week.
When numbers halved by Wednesday, it prompted Health Minister Roger Cook to issue an urgent plea to West Australians to get tested if they are feeling unwell.
“If you are unwell, if you are a member of the community that [visited] any of the exposure sites, please take the opportunity to get yourself tested,” he said at the time.
“Even if you have already been tested and you’re feeling unwell, please get yourself tested.
“This is about this is a vital early warning system to detect and potential any potential cases in the community.”
On Sunday, 1098 presented to WA Health COVID clinics, of which 1084 were swabbed.
WA Health is monitoring 10 active cases of COVID-19. So far 19 cases of variant strains have been detected in WA, of which 15 were the UK strain and four the South African strain.
The state’s total cases remains at 907 after no new cases overnight, with 888 having recovered from the virus.
Total figures show there have been 800,100 test results returned throughout the state. Of those, 120,681 were from regional WA.
with Hamish Hastie