Exposure sites will continue to be updated on the HealthyWA website. People are encouraged to check this site regularly.
WA Health has reported one new local case who is a security guard at a hotel quarantine site, with no new cases related to the Delta backpacker cluster; and six cases related to returned overseas and interstate travellers to the end of the last reporting period (8pm last night).
The new local case is a vaccinated quarantine hotel security guard and is not linked to the Delta backpacker cluster. The guard returned a positive test result on a daily routine oral swab (undertaken as part of his employment). He is being transferred to hotel quarantine. Three identified close contacts are also isolating and will be tested. They are all asymptomatic.
Investigations are underway as to how he contracted the virus, including genomic sequencing to determine what variant he has.
Based on the best available information from contact tracers, it is likely there are a limited number of potential exposure sites from this case as a result of early detection. Exposure sites will be released as soon as possible, once confirmed.
The six cases related to returned overseas and interstate travellers are all in quarantine.
Two are domestic travellers from Queensland and arrived before Queensland transitioned to extreme risk. Both were double dose vaccinated and are currently in self-quarantine. A third is a double dose vaccinated domestic traveller in hotel quarantine who had travelled from New South Wales via Tasmania.
The remaining three cases are all in hotel quarantine and relate to international travel.
With zero new cases related to the Delta backpacker cluster, the total number of cases related to this outbreak remains at 16, which includes the index case.
WA Health has now identified 767 close contacts with 12 yet to be tested and 1425 casual contacts with 228 yet to be tested*.
WA Health’s contact tracing team is working to identify and follow up contacts and confirm exposure sites. See below information for exposure sites.
The State’s total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 1168, with 1119 people recovered.
There are now 39 active confirmed cases in WA.
Exposure sites
Exposure sites are listed on the HealthyWA website. It’s likely more sites will be added and people are encouraged to keep checking the site regularly.
If you have been to an exposure site on the dates and times listed, or you are contacted directly by WA Health, you are urged to:
- immediately isolate from others in your home
- get tested at a COVID-19 clinic, wear a mask and travel directly there
- continue to isolate until a negative result is returned, unless instructed otherwise by WA Health
- clinic locations are on the Healthy WA website.
Testing clinics
2,911 Western Australians were swabbed at clinics yesterday.
WA Health is expanding testing capacity, including operating hours of clinics over the holiday period. There are many clinics available – people are encouraged to check the HealthyWA website to find clinic locations and opening hours.
Private clinics are also available. Testing is available free of charge at private testing clinics for people who have been advised by WA Health to get tested, or who have been present at exposure sites at the times listed on the HealthyWA website.
With the hot weather, people are encouraged to plan ahead and bring a hat or umbrella, sunscreen and water, and to arrive 15 minutes before closing if possible.
Safe WA
On 1 January, 956,003 scans were recorded on the Safe WA App. This is a decrease from the previous day, noting that many venues had limited opening hours or were closed on New Year’s Day.
Border controls
Information about Western Australia’s controlled border arrangements, conditions of entry and quarantine is available online.
COVID-19 vaccinations
COVID-19 state-run vaccination clinics administered 582 vaccines yesterday.
People are reminded that it is important for everyone who has received their second dose of the COVID-19 five*** or more months ago to get their booster vaccination now without delay to ensure they have maximum protection again COVID-19. Do not wait until it is too late - act now and get vaccinated.
From Tuesday, January 4 2022, the Joondalup COVID-19 vaccination clinic will re-open from a new location at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre. The new clinic will be located off Joondalup Drive on the western side of the shopping centre, with access from the outside of the building.
In addition, to help manage the current increased demand for walk-in vaccinations, there will be staffed booths operating in the Great Space area near the shopping centre information counter and the mobile vaccination bus will also be on-site at Lakeside Joondalup to provide vaccinations next week.
A new fixed clinic at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) is expected to open on Monday, 10 January 2022. This replaces a pop-up vaccination clinic that opened at the PCEC on December 26, 2021.
For the latest WA vaccination figures, visit the COVID-19 Coronavirus: Vaccination dashboard (external site)****.
Mandatory vaccination information
A mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for a majority of occupations and workforces in WA is being introduced in a phased approach. For more information on getting your COVID-19 vaccine, visit: https://rollup.wa.gov.au/
Variants
To date, 216 cases of variant strains have been detected in Western Australia – including 19 Omicron strain, 53 Alpha strain, 15 Beta strain, one Gamma strain and 128 Delta strain.
Visit WA Health’s HealthyWA website for the latest information on COVID-19.
Follow us on Twitter: WAHealth
*The number of close and casual contacts is not static and may change as further information becomes available. Close contacts are added when identified and intensive investigations to locate them are undertaken.
** WA vaccination data for the WA COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard is sourced from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). AIR is a national register maintained by the Australian Government that records all vaccines given to all people in Australia. WA data includes all COVID-19 vaccinations in WA, whether administered by WA Health, Australian Government providers or other providers (including GPs). WA previously reported only WA Health data. Note that the dashboard does not update until after 2pm Monday to Friday. A vaccine dashboard data interpretation guide (external site) is also available to help you.
*** From 4 January 2022, booster vaccinations will be available four months after a person has received their second dose.
**** A vaccine dashboard data interpretation guide (external site) is also available to help you.