![]() A security guard who worked at one of the hotels contracted the virus, which has been confirmed as the U.K. On Sunday, Western Australia recorded its first case of COVID-19 outside quarantine since April. The wearing of masks was almost non-existent. Hugs were given without a second thought. Aunties gave big lipstick kisses at large family gatherings. carried on as if COVID-19 existed in a parallel universe. This approach, and the elimination of COVID-19 transmission in the community, afforded Western Australians freedoms that feel like a thing of the past in other countries. Initially the cost was covered but most state governments now charge the traveller between $2,000 and $3,000 for one person in one room. Since April last year, the state's only cases of the virus were contained in hotel quarantine, which is mandatory for any international traveller returning to the state. SECOND OPINION Should Canada divert vaccines from regions with low COVID-19 levels to hot spots? Until October, a "hard border" prohibited Australians from other states from entering without an exemption for compassionate or employment reasons. Since March, international travellers have been required to spend two weeks in mandatory hotel quarantine. Its successes in eliminating the spread of the virus were largely due to a combination of border closures and strict quarantine practices. Until Sunday, Western Australia had not had any community transmission of COVID-19 for almost 10 months - since April 11, 2020. It was a surreal experience after living in a place where almost every aspect of daily life is affected by the virus.Īs the debate about the merits of strict lockdowns continues in Canada, and the federal government introduces its own version of hotel quarantine, the successes and failures of those practices in other countries can be looked to for insight. The catalyst for the lockdown? A single case of COVID-19.Īfter seven years in Canada, I relocated from Saskatoon in December to a very different world. The penalties for breaching quarantine rules range from hundreds of dollars to a maximum of $50,000 or 12 months in jail. One hour of exercise is allowed within a five kilometre radius of your home. In Perth, a city of almost two million people, and surrounding regions nobody is allowed to leave their home or neighbourhood except for essential reasons. ![]() Īs of now, most of my home state of Western Australia is in the midst of a five-day full lockdown. This analysis piece was written by Alicia Bridges, a former CBC Saskatoon reporter who is now working in Australia.įor more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.
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