New Perth Covid cases but Mark McGowan resists lockdown...for now

A vaccinated hotel quarantine security guard in Perth and two people living in his house have tested positive to COVID-19.

WA Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: Getty Images

A hotel quarantine security guard in Perth and two people living in his house have tested positive for COVID-19, but WA premier Mark McGowan will resist calling another lockdown for now.

The man, in his 20s, had recently received his first COVID vaccination shot and was waiting to receive his second injection.

Seven other people who were living or staying with the man in his house in Nollamara have been taken into quarantine, with two of those people - including one who shared a room with the man - has tested positive.

Mr McGowan said measures left in place last week after Perth’s Anzac Day weekend lockdown had helped reduce the risks that the man may have spread the virus into the community, but testing over the coming days will determine whether another lockdown is called.

“We are effectively in a holding pattern and I hope we can avoid going back into lockdown,” Mr McGowan said.

“But if we need to, based on health advice, then that is what we will do.”

Masks will again be required to be worn both indoors and outdoors, reversing an easing of mask conditions that had come into effect from Saturday morning.

Authorities believe the man at the centre of the latest outbreak became infectious as early as April 27. He received his required weekly PCR test yesterday, with the result coming back positive this morning.

Mr McGowan said the man had been responsible in the past few days, and was wearing a mask while out in the community.

The premier said the man’s limited movements during the days in question and the mask measures in place last week reduced the prospect of further community transmission occurring.

The news comes just five days after a snap three-day lockdown called after a man contracted the virus while in hotel quarantine and subsequently several days in Perth.

The recent infections prompted the government to stop using three quarantine hotels for returning overseas travellers.

The three hotels - the Mercure, the Four Points and the Novotel Langley - were identified in the wake of the infection in January of a hotel quarantine worker as being of “very high risk” of facilitating transmission through their ventilation systems.