‘Too early’: Premier silent on lockdown end

Excluding the security guard who became infected working at the Four Points quarantine hotel in January, WA broke its more than 12 month dream run of no community transmission last week when a Victorian man unwittingly contracted the virus while in quarantine at the Mercure Hotel.

He stayed in a room opposite an ill couple who had arrived from India, then spent five days in the community, where he infected a friend.

The pair went to the Kitchen Inn restaurant in her home suburb of Kardinya, where a man in his 40s then contracted the virus.

“Right now it’s too early to predict what will happen come Tuesday,” Mr McGowan told reporters on Sunday.

“We need to see more testing completed. Most importantly we need close contacts and casual contacts – that is anyone who has visited the exposure locations during the specific times – to be tested.

“So please keep doing the right thing.

“We all work together, it gives us the best chance to come out of lockdown and safely get back to normal.”

Mr McGowan said health authorities would “expect there to be more cases” recorded in the community and apologised for the “debilitating” situation.

The Premier said there would be “further measures” that continued beyond the lockdown period, but would not be making any announcement on the details until Monday.

“I’m sure there will be some further measures that continue. What they are, we won’t know until tomorrow morning,” he said.

“We’ll get health advice … and I think people should get used to the prospect that there will be some further measures continue beyond Monday.

“What they are exactly at this point in time we don’t have but we’ll work them out over the coming 24 hours.”

Mr McGowan said health authorities had identified 359 close and casual contacts of the confirmed cases.

Of 303 close contacts, 72 had returned a negative result, as had 13 of 56 casual contacts.