Perth and the Peel Region have entered a four-day circuit breaker lockdown after a third COVID-19 case was recorded from community transmission. It follows other lockdowns in Sydney and Darwin, and mandatory masks in Brisbane.
The restrictions mean people must stay home unless they’re going shopping, going to school, exercising, seeking medical treatment (including getting vaccinated, of course) or essential workers. In other words: the usual reasons.
Restaurants, cafés and bars can only do takeaway. Meanwhile, people who are exercising outdoors can only do so for an hour per day, within a 5km radius from home.
“What is even more concerning is, this most recent infection appears to have involved only fleeting contact with the original case,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said at a press conference late on Monday night.
“Based on advice from the Chief Health Officer […] Perth and Peel will enter a full lockdown.
“The lockdown will be in place for four days at a minimum.”
That means these restrictions will remain in place until at least 12:01am on Saturday, and hopefully not beyond that if numbers manage to stay down.
The WA government has also continued to update the list of COVID-19 exposure sites in and around Perth.
Anyone who has visited those venues at the times listed must get tested immediately and potentially isolate for 14 days.
People are also being urged to get tested if they show any symptoms. That’s the point of a circuit breaker lockdown, after all.
You can find out where to get tested on Perth at the WA Department of Health website.
“I know today’s developments are very, very disappointing, but we can take comfort in the fact that we have acted quickly,” McGowan added.
“We’ve done it before and now it is time to do it again.”
