Australia's two-week run without any cases of community Covid transmission has come to an end, after the infection of a hotel guard in Perth triggered a five-day lockdown.
On Sunday afternoon, officials in Western Australia announced that a hotel security guard had tested positive to Covid-19, and speculated that the man may also have been working as a rideshare driver.
"I know for many Western Australian, this is going to come as a shock… Western Australians have done so well for so long, but this week it is absolutely crucial that we stay home, maintain physical distancing and personal hygiene, and get tested if you have symptoms,” said Mark McGowan, the premier of Western Australia.
It is believed the man has contracted one of the new, more infectious strains of Covid-19, such as the UK and Brazil variants.
The revelation that the infected security guard may have also worked as a rideshare driver has angered some Australians. They pointed to the use of casual guards at multiple sites being a driving factor behind Melbourne’s disastrous second wave in 2020.
