Perth's mask mandate and hospitality COVID-19 restrictions will remain until January 4, with Western Australia recording one new case linked to an infected French backpacker.
Key points:
- Face masks will need to be worn indoors in public for another week
- Perth Cup patrons at Ascot on New Year's Day must also wear masks
- The new COVID case has been in quarantine since becoming infectious
The extended restrictions mean masks will remain mandatory in all public indoor settings, while nightclubs will be closed for New Year's Eve and major music festivals will be cancelled.
The face mask rules will be extended to cover the Perth Cup at Ascot on New Year's Day, with patrons also required to provide proof of vaccination for the first time at an event in the state.
The restrictions had been due to expire tomorrow morning but are continuing amid concerns COVID could still be spreading in the community.
The one new locally-acquired case is a woman aged in her 20s who is linked to the French backpacker at the centre of Perth's virus outbreak.
The woman has been in hotel quarantine since she became infectious, Premier Mark McGowan said.
"Given the high-risk nature of some of the exposure sites, we were expecting to see large numbers of positive cases," he said.
Tests pending for 86 close contacts
Mr McGowan said 608 close contacts of the positive cases had been identified, with 86 of those yet to be tested.
"Of the 86 yet to be tested, 39 were patrons from the Mess Hall event. This is something that is worrying as we cannot be 100 per cent sure that the Delta virus is not lingering in the community somewhere," he said.
WA Police are working to track down those contacts who are yet to be tested.
Mr McGowan said more than 29,000 COVID tests had been undertaken over the past four days.
"That is a good number, but it could be better," he said.
He urged anyone who had been to an exposure site to get tested immediately and isolate until they received a negative result.
WA Health Minister Amber Jade-Sanderson said contact tracers had been working hard over the festive period, with 808 close contacts identified.
She said it was encouraging to see people in Perth had been abiding by the COVID restrictions over the last few days.
Financial help for businesses imminent
The extended restrictions will affect New Year's Eve celebrations, including large outdoor events such as fireworks, where people will be required to wear masks if they cannot socially distance.
Mr McGowan said a financial assistance package for affected businesses would be announced in the near future.
He also urged patrons to be patient ahead of the new proof-of-vaccination rules at the Perth Cup.
"Understandably, this is the first time we will be doing this so it might not be perfect, but it's the best way to guarantee a safe event," he said.
The Premier said there were a number of ways people could provide proof of vaccination, including digital or printed copies of vaccination certificates.
WA's new proof-of-vaccination app will be available later in January.
Entertainment venues face big losses
The extended restrictions have frustrated many in the hospitality sector, including Mike Keiler, the part-owner of Mustang Bar in Northbridge.
He should be getting ready to welcome thousands of guests to his bar over the coming week, but instead, the doors will remain closed until at least next Tuesday.
"It's a massive financial hit, not just for the venue itself but all the small contractors that hang off the business like security, suppliers, bands, cleaners, wholesalers — the list goes on," he said.
Mr Keiler was unsure how useful any compensation scheme for the entertainment industry would be.
"It might pay for the electricity that runs the fridges for the week.
"It's a significant amount of money people write off over these two weeks as it's the biggest two trading weeks of the year for most people."
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COVID-19 restrictions extended in Perth until January 4 as WA records one new local case - ABC News
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