The Australian city of Perth was ordered into lockdown on Sunday after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19, ending the country’s longest coronavirus-free run.
From Sunday evening until Friday, people in the city of 2 million must stay home, except for essential work, healthcare, grocery shopping or exercise, with visits to hospitals and nursing homes banned. This was made known by the Western Australia State Premier Mark McGowan.
Australia’s fourth-most populous city had recorded no cases of the virus for 10 months, and Australia just hours earlier had announced 14 days without a locally acquired infection.
Earlier on Sunday, Australia reopened its “travel bubble” with New Zealand, meaning travellers from New Zealand are exempt from 14-day hotel quarantine, after the neighbouring country reported no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases.
New Zealand has, however, kept its border closed to Australia.
