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Western Australia has recorded three new cases of coronavirus overnight as the McGowan Government unveils its pandemic plan to deal with the expected spread of the virus throughout the community from next month.
Key points:
- Three more diagnosed cases of COVID-19 brings the total to nine in WA
- All three of the new cases had recently returned from overseas
- WA has released a pandemic plan to keep delivering essential services
The latest cases were a man in his 50s, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s, all of whom live in Perth, WA chief health officer Andrew Robertson said.
Dr Robertson said the three people had recently flown back from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Some developed symptoms on their return to Perth and others while they were on the plane.
All were separate cases and were "imported", not local person-to-person transmissions, Dr Robertson said.
He said all were in a stable condition in home quarantine.
Health officials were working to identify the flights on which the three patients travelled and would contact the passengers who sat closest to them, Dr Robertson said.
It brings to nine the total number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in Western Australia.
"In the majority of these cases, people have actually self-isolated as soon as they have become unwell, so they've done the right thing," Dr Robertson said.
Schools, businesses, events may be closed
The pandemic plan, which was last updated in 2014, provides all Government agencies with guidelines to continue to deliver essential services in the event of a widespread coronavirus outbreak.
It includes preparations for school, business and childcare centre closures, cancellations of major events and public transport, and even processes for cemeteries to implement quicker burials.
The plan also considers "special arrangements for shopping hours to avoid overcrowding".
"I'm not a scaremonger and I'm not a panic merchant," Premier Mark McGowan told ABC Radio Perth.
"I'm just saying we just need to be prepared and that we should go about our business as normal until such time as these things are required."
The Premier said he was also considering "cost of living relief" for households and payroll tax relief for small businesses to soften the anticipated economic hit from the virus.
"The economy is very important, the best thing people can do is continue to support our local businesses," Mr McGowan said.
"We're looking at what makes the biggest difference to supporting jobs and the economy. I think the major things in that regard are payroll tax and also consumer spending."
Mr McGowan said he would also meet mining industry representatives today to discuss their level of preparedness for a widespread outbreak.
"Whether it's workforce concerns, whether it's relations with trading partners, whether it's any issues around the ports," he said.
The Premier will travel to Canberra tomorrow for Friday's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting and said it was important for state and territory governments to work with the Commonwealth to ensure a nationally consistent approach to preparing for a community outbreak.
Hundreds flock to fever clinics
The release of the updated pandemic plan comes a day after Perth's first three specialist walk-in clinics began testing patients for coronavirus.
Dr Robertson said about 800 people attended for testing on the opening day of the clinics, at Royal Perth, Fiona Stanley and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals.
He said about 400 of those people were tested based on risk factors regarding symptoms, overseas travel and contact with people confirmed or suspected of having coronavirus.
Who should present to COVID-19 clinics?
- Those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms — like sore throat, cough, fever — AND
- Have returned from overseas in the past 14 days or
- Have been in confirmed or suspected contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case
Clinics have been set up at Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner and Fiona Stanley Hospitals and will be open from 8:00am–8:00pm daily.
For more information go to the Health Department website.
He said the results from the first day of testing would likely be available on Friday night.
WA Health Minister Roger Cook said if demand for testing increased, more clinics would be opened, including in outer suburban areas and regional centres.
Mr Cook said eight PathWest pathology centres would now be exclusively dedicated to collecting COVID-19 specimens from patients referred by their GPs.
The eight centres are in Nedlands, Osborne Park, Mandurah, Belmont, West Leederville, Kelmscott, Jandakot and Fremantle.
Regional patients can attend one of 29 collection centres that are testing for COVID-19.
Attendees at the collection centres must have a GP referral.
PathWest has also increased its mobile collection service, with five vehicles now available in Perth to take at-home samples from patients who have a GP referral, but feel too unwell to leave home.
Australian Nursing Federation WA secretary Mark Olson said he believed there was enough nursing staff to deal with a pandemic, but that relied on the availability of protective equipment.
"It is risky enough for our members, for other health workers, to be going to work over the coming months," he said.
"They're the ones who are going to bear the brunt of the risk. We don't want to make that risk worse by a shortage of appropriate protective equipment."
Topics: infectious-diseases-other, perth-6000, wa
First posted