Western Australia’s zero Covid policy on brink of collapse as state suffers its highest EVER caseload as Mark McGowan imposes strict restrictions
- Western Australia has set a new Covid caseload record at 46 new Covid cases
Western Australia has suffered its highest Covid caseload since the start of the pandemic on the day the state was due to reopen.
The state’s health department confirmed on Sunday 46 new cases had been recorded on Saturday, of which 31 were local and the source of six unknown.
The highest number of cases previously detected in WA was 44 on March 30, 2020, with the state now reporting 249 active infections.
The new record ironically lands on the day the state was due to reopen to the rest of Australia before state premier Mark McGowan backflipped on his decision.
WA recorded 46 new cases on Sunday, including six where the source of the infection remains unknown (pictured, premier Mark McGowan)
The highest number of cases previously detected was 44 on March 30, 2020, with WA now reporting a total of 249 active infections (pictured, a Perth couple walk their dog)
On January 20, the hardline premier announced WA would not be opening its border to the rest of the country on February 5 as planned.
He said a new reopening date, which was initially scheduled to align with WA’s 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target, would not be considered until next month.
Mr McGowan has repeatedly claimed one of the main reasons behind his border delay is to give people more time to receive a third dose.
He also claimed if the border opened as planned, Omicron cases would pour into WA, citing the rise in cases and virus-related deaths seen in the eastern states.
Of Sunday’s cases, a cluster numbering at least seven infections has been traced back to the North Beach Bowling Club in Perth.
‘At this stage, cases have been linked to the North Beach Bowling Club exposure site, and contact tracing and testing continues,’ a WA Health spokesperson said.
People who attended the bowling club at the listed times have been recommended to get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received.
Of the 31 local cases, an unknown number were infectious in the community with the North Beach bowling club the only new exposure site listed today.
More to come.
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