Mark McGowan has taken a brutal swipe at New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian during a heated exchange with a reporter over coronavirus lockdowns.
There were fears two million residents in Perth and surrounding Peel region would be plunged into their second lockdown in as many weeks after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates tested positive on Saturday
But lockdown has been avoided for now after no further locally acquired coronavirus cases were detected on Sunday, the Western Australia premier announced, despite the city having stay-at-home orders during previous outbreaks.
Instead, a raft of strict restrictions has been ramped up, including mandatory wearing of masks, shutdown of nightclubs and 60,000 fans locked out of the AFL local derby between West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers later on Sunday.
Perth and the Peel region have avoided another lockdown for now after no further locally acquired coronavirus cases were detected but a raft of strict restrictions remain.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan confirmed the news on Sunday, 24 hours after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates tested positive.
Contact tracers are continuing to work through the movements of the three men but all 16 close contacts identified by WA Health as high risk have returned negative tests.
Results are pending for a further four close contacts, while a another 136 contacts are deemed casual or yet to be classified. All the new cases and their close contacts must quarantine for 14 days.
New Zealand has paused the trans-Tasman travel bubble with Western Australia after the state recorded three new Covid-19 cases.
The ministry of health announced on Sunday that it was no longer accepting flights from the state after carrying out a rapid public health assessment. Scheduled direct flights from Western Australia to New Zealand should be immediately paused while a further assessment is carried out, including a further assessment and information from Australian health officials, a statement read.
It comes after a security guard at a Perth quarantine facility and his two housemates tested positive to Covid-19 on Saturday.
New Zealand has paused the trans-Tasman travel bubble with Western Australia after the state recorded three new Covid-19 cases