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Coronavirus crisis: Masks back as five new cases recorded in WA

Briana FioreThe West Australian
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Premier Mark McGowan speaking at Dumas House this afternoon.
Camera IconPremier Mark McGowan speaking at Dumas House this afternoon. Credit: Ian Munro/The West Australian

Masks will be reintroduced in Perth and Peel from 6pm on Sunday after a surge in cases linked to a day spa in Applecross.

In an emergency press conference Premier Mark McGowan said there were three more cases that would be recorded in tomorrow’s numbers - two of which were linked to the U Natural Spa Therapy - in addition to the two announced earlier in the day.

It came just an hour after WA Health announced those two new local cases had been infectious while in the community.

Contact tracers are still working to determine potential exposure sites.

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The man and woman are in self-quarantine and their close contacts are being directed to get tested and self-quarantine immediately.

The third case was linked to the Hyatt security guard and was not believed to be infectious in the community.

WA Health on Saturday issued an urgent warning to people who had been to the U Natural Spa Therapy between January 7 and 13.

It was considered a “significant exposure risk” and only 11 people had registered their attendance during that time frame, making tracing difficult.

The Applecross cluster has now grown to five local cases.

Mr McGowan said people should not hesitate or assume they are fine because they have no symptoms.

He said anyone who had been to the business needed to quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.

He said a worker at the massage centre had crossed paths with an interstate arrival and had then caught the virus.

Mr McGowan also said the New U massage parlour in Mount Lawley had also been added to the exposure list.

Anyone who visited between 10am and 8.30pm on January 10 must get tested and quarantine for two weeks.

Mr McGowan said Omicron was now in the community and called the development concerning.

People must mask-up in all indoor public venues in Perth and Peel.

Anyone who has been in Perth and Peel must also wear masks if they venture into other regions.

“This one is concerning because it’s the Omicron variant and we want to make sure anyone who’s been to these businesses goes and gets tested,” Mr McGowan said.

“We have to assume there are more cases of Omicron in our community.”

Mr McGowan said he did not know if the mask mandate would be in place until the border opening on February 5.

He also announced authorities were monitoring two ships off the WA coast that appear to have COVID onboard.

The British Chief is an oil and chemical tanker that is sailing near Port Hedland.

Five crew members from the UK vessel have returned positive rapid antigen tests.

The second ship is the MV La Stella which is en-route to Fremantle with six positive crew members.

Mr McGowan said there were no seriously ill crew at this stage and authorities were planning on managing them onboard.

“We’ve been here before and we have many protocols in place of how to manage potentially positive crew,” he said.

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