CANBERRA – About 2 million Australians began their first full day of severe coronavirus closure on Monday following the discovery of one case in the community in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, but no new cases have been found since.
Authorities closed Perth for five days after it was found that a security guard at a hotel used to quarantine people returning from overseas contracted the virus.
The state government said 66 people were considered close contacts of the unidentified guard and that none of those already tested were infected.
“A total of 13 close contacts have now been tested negative, and some of these 11 high-risk contacts have been moved as an extra precautionary company into a hotel quarantine,” Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan told reporters in Perth.
The tests on the rest of the close contacts were expected to be completed Monday, McGowan said.
Australia has managed to largely curb its new coronavirus epidemic – cases limited to nearly 29,000 and deaths to 909 – with the kind of decisive action seen in Perth, and strict border controls.
A vaccine campaign is set to begin this month, which would cost at least $ 4.8 billion, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Australia has already promised to spend $ 3.35 billion to get enough doses for its 26 million inhabitants, but Morrison said his government had set aside a further A $ 1.9 billion to pay for the rollout.
‘The strategy is supported by an initial allocation of approximately $ 1.45 billion in new support for the roll-out of vaccines. In addition, more than $ 4.4 billion has been allocated for vaccine purchases, ‘Morrison said in a speech in Canberra.
Morrison classified the vaccination program as his “first priority” and said the economy should now begin to wean itself off government spending.
Australia has pledged more than $ 190 billion in stimulus, which has already begun to decline.
But Morrison said there is a limit to the support the government can afford.
“We do not have a blank check budget,” Morrison said.