Perth and Peel in lockdown after Delta strain enters Western Australia

Those living in the Perth and Peel regions of Western Australia have woken up to a four-day lockdown this morning after one new case of COVID-19 was uncovered in the state overnight.

It also comes after WA health authorities determined the three locally acquired cases in the state have the highly infectious Delta strain, with genome sequencing linking the cases directly to the Sydney outbreak.

As such, Perth and Peel are in a minimum four-day lockdown to stop movement and interaction around the community.

People will be required to stay at home unless they need to:

• work because it is not possible to work from home or remotely;
• purchase or provide essentials such as food, groceries, medicine and necessary supplies;
• attend medical or healthcare needs including a COVID-19 vaccination, and looking after the vulnerable; and
• exercise with a maximum of two adults from the same household (children under 18 years are not counted), limited to one hour per day within a five kilometre radius from home, and masks must be worn (except for vigorous exercise).

Schools, boarding schools and childcare centres in the Perth and Peel regions will remain open except for the three schools that have been directly impacted as they are a listed exposure site.

Universities, TAFEs and training colleges will be closed unless for critical activities.

Unless exempt, people in Perth and Peel are required to wear masks outside of the home, at all indoor settings, on public transport, and outdoors at all times unless for vigorous exercise or you are travelling in your private vehicle with members of your household.

Anyone who has travelled outside of the Perth metropolitan area and Peel region since Sunday, June 27 2021 must continue to wear face masks in public.

Anyone who has been to one of the potential exposure locations will need to get tested and quarantine as per the instructions they are given.

"We now know we are dealing with the highly infectious and dangerous Delta strain, which is a new beast that has entered WA," WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

"Escalating to an immediate lockdown will help us break the circuit and give contact tracers an opportunity to track and trace so we can get on top of this situation sooner.

"I acknowledge lockdowns are frustrating but they are a necessary response to the threat we face."

The following restrictions apply for the lockdown period:

• people can enter the Perth and Peel areas only to access or deliver essential health and emergency services and other essential requirements;
• restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars to provide takeaway service only;
• casinos, nightclubs, entertainment venues and public venues to close;
• beauty, nail and hair services to close;
• retail permitted but only for essential health services and essential goods such as supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware, petrol and others;
• public venues such as swimming pools and recreation centres to close;
• fitness venues including gyms, Pilates, yoga, dance studios to close;
• places of worship to close;
• community sport is not permitted;
• private outdoor gatherings are not permitted and events and functions are not permitted;
• weddings are restricted to five people - for compassionate reasons only;
• funerals are restricted to 10 people;
• no visitors will be allowed in homes unless it is for essential services, critical maintenance, caregiving and compassionate reasons or in an emergency;
• no visitors to residential aged care and/or disability facilities except for exceptional circumstances such as essential care, compassionate reasons, end of life and advocacy;
• no visitors to hospitals except for compassionate reasons, end of life, accompanying a child, supporting a partner giving birth;
• category 2 and 3 elective surgeries will be postponed until Friday July 9. People are urged not to contact hospitals directly as they will be contacted to reschedule their appointments;
• travel outside the Perth and Peel region is not permitted unless you are exempt to obtain or provide essential goods or services, or other compassionate and medical reasons; and
• travel remains prohibited to remote Aboriginal communities.

"I am asking everyone to please do the right thing here and follow the health advice and instructions we are putting in place," McGowan said.

"The developments with the additional case is disappointing but we can take comfort in the fact we have acted quickly and always we have followed a careful and cautious approach which has worked."

The announcement came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation following a meeting of National Cabinet.

The PM announced National Cabinet agreed to make vaccinations mandatory for aged care workers and to put into place an indemnity scheme for GPs administering COVID-19 vaccines.

As such, GPs can continue to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australians under 60 years of age with informed consent.

Updated at 9.21am AEST on 29 June 2021.