Perth to enter week-long lockdown following single Covid-19 case

Perth is to go into strict lockdown after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for the virus

The city of Perth. File picture

An Australian city has been placed under a hard lockdown following one case of community transmission.

Perth is to go into lockdown after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for the virus.

The lockdown will be in place from 6pm Sunday, local time, and will last until next Friday.

People in the city have been told not to leave their homes unless for essential reasons, with restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars only allowed to offer take-away services.

Schools are also to remain closed.

People will only be allowed to enter Perth and surrounding areas “to access or deliver essential health and emergency services and other essential requirements”.

Weddings have also been cancelled with funerals limited to 10 mourners.

“I know for many Western Australians this is going to come as a shock,” Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan said, as reported by Reuters.

“We cannot forget how quickly this virus can spread, nor the devastation it can cause.” 

The lockdown is set to affect around two million people.

The case is the first case of community transition in the area for 10 months.