Coronavirus: Our vulnerability required drastic action, says Mark McGowan

Mark McGowan says Victoria was in a ‘very different situation’ when it opted against another lockdown.

WA Premier Mark McGowan in Perth on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Western Australia’s higher “vulnerability” to COVID-19 meant the state needed to take more drastic action over its latest coronavirus case than Victoria, WA Premier Mark McGowan says.

Perth and WA’s South West were plunged into a five-day lockdown on Sunday after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive for the virus.

In sharp contrast, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews on Wednesday opted against another lockdown, cutting the number of people allowed at gatherings from 30 to 15 after the state found itself in similar circumstances.

Like the case that triggered WA’s lockdown, Victoria’s centred on a man responsible for monitoring quarantined guests at a hotel.

Mr McGowan said the contrast in the response of the two states reflected the fact that Victoria was in a “very different situation … They have had rules in place for a very long time. They have had a 50 per cent workplace capacity rule in place, masks across the community and a 30-person limit,” he said.

“We had no COVID for 10 months, therefore our freedoms were much greater and our vulnerability was much greater.”

WA has not recorded a new case of the virus in four days since the infection was found — the man’s three housemates have repeatedly tested negative — and two million West Australians should emerge from lockdown at 6pm (9pm AEDT) on Friday.

Mr McGowan said some restrictions would be extended, with the rules to be announced either Thursday night or Friday morning. “It will be a little longer before things go back to the way we’ve become used to during the past 10 months, when WA has been COVID-free,” he said.

The state is still determining what sort of compensation it will pay to businesses affected by the lockdown. “We are currently considering what that will be, but we will look to provide some support,” he said. “It won’t be as much as people might want.”

WA businesses impacted over the past week won’t be eligible for the federal government’s JobKeeper support, which required businesses to show a fall in earnings during the December quarter to qualify.

The WA branch of the Australian Hotels Association called for the government to introduce “sensible but limited restrictions” as Perth transitions out of lockdown. It estimates businesses are losing well over $10m a day from the current situation.

“If we have one more day of no new cases, hospitality venues should be allowed to reopen with limited, reasonable restrictions,” AHA WA chief Bradley Woods said. “Hospitality businesses have COVID-safe plans, mandated contact tracing and comprehensive staff training in place, making them more prepared than ever to provide safe venues.”