Add Category
Western Australia has recorded 14 new cases of COVID-19 in the community, with two cases in hospital and one of them in intensive care.
Key points:
- Testing numbers have jumped but the Premier says more are needed
- Bunbury's COVID-19 cluster now stands at seven infections
- New cases have been linked to a South West lithium plant
Premier Mark McGowan has urged anyone who is symptomatic to come forward and get tested as two of the new cases are not linked to previous infections.
He said there had been 9,831 tests yesterday, nearly a doubling of the almost 5,000 tested the day before.
"We need more West Australians to go forward and get tested," he said.
"Please come forward and get tested if you feel unwell, if you have symptoms, or if you have been to one of the exposure sites."
Four other WA cases have been recorded in overseas travellers who are in quarantine.
Earlier today the government reported there had been 15 new local cases, but it later clarified that one of the cases was a returned traveller.
Intensive care case is double vaccinated
The person in ICU — a 61-year-old — is double vaccinated, the Premier said.
"As you know, even if you’re vaccinated you can get unwell," he said.
"But all of the evidence from the eastern states and around the world is if you’re not vaccinated, your chance of getting very sick and dying is multiples of those people who are vaccinated."
Mr McGowan said WA now had a first-dose vaccination rate of 96.7 per cent among those over the age of 12.
Some 89.5 per cent were double dosed, and 28 per cent had had their booster shot, he said.
He said more than 13,000 vaccination appointments had been booked between now and February 6, but around 7,000 were still available over that period.
Bunbury cluster grows to seven
The Premier confirmed there were now a total of seven cases of COVID-19 linked to a Bunbury cluster in the South West.
People in the regional city, 170 kilometres south of Perth, were told to get tested if they felt unwell after a breakout case was recorded in the region yesterday.
Mr McGowan said six of those cases were identified in one family while one additional case was unlinked.
Meanwhile, the ABC understands several cases have been identified among contractors working to build the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant near Bunbury.
In a statement to the ABC, the plant's owner Albemarle said all workers at the site were vaccinated and the infected people were isolating, along with close contacts.
The company said it was working with WA Health contact tracers.
Bunbury's Mayor Jaysen de san Miguel said city workers would act as COVID marshals to remind people to wear masks at tomorrow's local Australia Day fireworks event.
He said the city was still seeking direction from the state government on some public safety aspects of the event.
"We're looking to see what implementations we need to do, we will of course have COVID marshals, which is of course part of any event we have at the moment," he said.
Loading form...