Parts of Western Australia are to go into lockdown from midnight on Friday after a former Perth hotel quarantine guest tested positive for COVID-19.
The Melbourne man was a guest at the Mercure Hotel, where he stayed in the adjacent room to a confirmed COVID case.
Premier Mark McGowan revealed the snap lockdown is set to run for three days over the long weekend.
“From midnight, people need to stay in the Perth and Peel regions and won’t be able to leave unless you have an exemption,” he said.
It will only affect the Perth and Peel regions of WA.
McGowan confirmed the COVID positive man spent up to five days in Perth after exiting hotel quarantine on April 17.
“We now need to assume he was infectious during this five day period,” he said.
“A friend has, who is a close contact, had a rapid COVID test today.
“That has just returned a positive result.”
Victoria reports local case of coronavirus after man returns from Perth hotel
The case also travelled on flight Qantas QF778 from Perth to Melbourne on Wednesday.
He tested positive in Melbourne on Friday at around 2am.
The man was tested after WA Health notified him he was a close contact of a confirmed case.
Despite being asymptomatic, he requested to be moved to hotel quarantine while awaiting his COVID test result.
This is a developing story. More to come.