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Single New COVID-19 Case Sends Australian State Into 5-Day Lockdown

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY -
   ThecityofPerthinWesternAustraliahasenteredafive-daylockdownafterasecuri
   tyguardworkingataquarantinehoteltestedpositiveforcoronavirus.Itisthesta
   te'sfirstlocallyacquiredcoronaviruscasein
   10months.Australiahasrecorded28,811COVID-19casesand 909
   deathssincethepandemicbegan,accordingtoofficialgovernmentfigures.

   JustasinglenewCOVID-19case has
   sentmostofWesternAustralia's2.7millionresidentsintolockdown.Ithighlight
   sthenation'sverycautiousresponsetothepandemic.Itisnotyetknownhowthesecu
   rityguardworkinginaquarantinehotelinPerthfortravelersreturningfromovers
   eas contracted the
   virus.Schools,restaurants,andgymswillcloseforatleastfivedays.Onlyessent
   ial travelisallowed,andmasksmustbeworn.

   WesternAustralianpremierMarkMcGowanbelievesthestateisdealingwithahighly
   contagiousstrainofcoronavirusthatfirstemergedinBritain.

   "WearetoldtheguardwasworkingonthesamefloorasapositiveU.K.variantcase.Th
   eguardcompletedtwo 12- hour
   shiftsonboththe26thand27thofJanuary.Exactlyhowtheinfectionwasacquiredre
   mainsunderinvestigation,"McGowan said.

   EpidemiologistNancyBaxtersaysthelockdowninWesternAustraliahascomeasa
   shock tomanypeople.

   "TheyarekindoflivingtheirlivesasifCOVIDdidn'texist.So,nowwhenyouhavesom
   eonewhomayhavebeeninthecommunityforfour to
   fivedaysinaninfectiousstate,it'spossiblethatthevirushasspreadwidely.Iti
   slikelyamoreinfectiousvarianttothevirus,eithertheU.K.virusortheSouthAfr
   icanvariantofthevirus.So,thereisevenmorepotentialforittohavespreadwidel
   y.So,youknow,Ithinkthisisaprecautionaryapproach," Baxter said.

   Otherstatesandterritorieshaveimposedrestrictionsontravelersarrivingfrom
   WesternAustralia.

   TheprotocolsinotherpartsofAustraliaareverydifferent.Healthofficialshave
   saidupto30,000tennisfanswillbeallowedtoattendtheAustralianOpeneachday.T
   hetournamentstartsinMelbournenextweek.

   AuthoritiesinQueenslandarereopeningthestateborderonMondaywithNewSouthWa
   lesafterCOVID-19outbreaksinSydneyovertheholidayperiodwerecontained.
   Aso-called"travelbubble"has
   reopenedbetweenAustraliaandoneofitsclosestneighborsafterno
   newCOVID-19infectionsweredetectedinNewZealand.PassengersenteringAustral
   iawillbescreenedbeforeandafterflightsforthenext10daysbutwillnolongerhav
   etogointo quarantineuponarrival.

   AustraliacloseditsinternationalborderstoforeigntravelersinMarch.Thoseco
   ntrolsareexpectedtoremainfortherestofthisyear.

   ThehealthdepartmentMondayestimatedtherewere66activecoronaviruscasesin
   Australia.

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