On Friday, authorities ordered a three-day lockdown in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, after a COVID-19 case was detected in connection with a hotel welcoming quarantined travelers.
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Prime Minister Mark McGowan said that a man who tested negative on April 17, the day he left the hotel after a 14-day quarantine, tested positive for the Coronavirus shortly after.
One of his close contacts in Perth tested positive on Friday. McGowan said upon announcing the lockdown that this is the first case of virus transmission among residents of this city within a year.
Authorities are looking for anyone who had contact with the man during his five days in Perth before traveling to Melbourne where he tested positive on Wednesday and placed him in solitary confinement.
Australia is one of the world’s most successful countries in containing the spread of COVID-19, with fewer than 30,000 cases and just over 900 deaths for a population of 25 million.
The rare cases of pollution recorded in recent months are associated with hotels located in large cities, where international travelers are quarantined upon their return from abroad.
However, all outbreaks have been contained thanks to similar short containment measures.
The quarantine measure in hotels is raising more and more concerns after the COVID-19 carriers infected people in adjacent rooms.
In addition, the authorities recently recorded a sharp increase in the number of infected people among travelers, especially from India.
On Thursday, the Australian government announced restrictions on arrivals from India.
McGowan announced that Western Australia will reduce the number of Australians returning from abroad permitted to enter the state.
As part of the lockdown, residents of Perth and neighboring Belle District will be required to stay home from midnight Friday.
Restaurants and bars will only be able to serve takeaway and leisure establishments in particular will be closed.
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