Four cases in MIQ, WA avoids lockdown
There were four new Covid cases in MIQ and no new community cases yesterday.
There was also one new historical case to report. Historical cases are not considered infectious, the Ministry of Health said. The historical case had arrived from Japan.
Meanwhile, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has announced he wants to avoid another lockdown at all costs after a hotel quarantine guard tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Instead he introduced a slate of new restrictions.
“We cannot underestimate this virus. We cannot be complacent. We need to follow the health advice. We need people to get tested. And we need everyone to keep wearing your masks,” McGowan told reporters.
“I want to avoid going into lockdown again. I know how much it can impact people’s lives and businesses but if we need to go back into lockdown we will.”
The Premier said they’d decided not to permit spectators at the AFL Derby at Optus Stadium yesterday afternoon. Nightclubs were also closed immediately in WA.
An Air NZ flight and a Singapore Airlines flight that were due to take off from Perth and land in Auckland yesterday morning were cancelled overnight Saturday.
“The Ministry of Health carried out a rapid public health assessment
on the impact for New Zealand last night . . . all direct passenger flights from Perth to New Zealand were paused,” the NZ Health Ministry said yesterday.
The infected WA security guard had already had his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, McGowan said. He had worked in the Pan Pacific Hotel on April 24, 25 and 26 and worked on the same floor as two arrivals who’d tested positive.
At yesterday’s Covid update, NZ’s Ministry of Health said 397 passengers were aboard three flights that left Brisbane International Airport
for NZ after a green-zone breach at Brisbane Airport on Thursday.
“All but two of those people have been contacted and asked to check the Queensland Government website for locations of interest. Attempts to contact the remaining two are continuing.”
So far, 27 people had been in touch with Healthline to say they were in the locations of interest at the relevant time. They are considered casual-plus contacts and have been asked to self-isolate and get tested five days after their exposure.