COVID-19 returns to the Great Southern with two confirmed cases but ‘low risk’ to the community

COVID-19 has continued its spread across WA with two confirmed cases in the Great Southern.

WA Health has revealed this afternoon that two people in the region have the virus — the first known cases in almost two years.

A WA Health spokeswoman said one of the positive cases was infectious in the community in Perth.

The spokeswoman said neither of the positive cases had been infectious in the community in the Great Southern.

She said they posed a “low risk” to the region with both people in isolation.

They are the first confirmed cases of COVID in the Great Southern since April 2020, when all nine of the region’s cases were officially classified as “recovered”.

The region’s first confirmed COVID case, announced on March 23, 2020, was an Albany woman who was a passenger on the infamous Ruby Princess cruise ship.

There were 37 new locally-acquired cases in WA announced on Thursday — the most community infections in the State in two years.

An additional 102 cases were announced on Thursday relating to interstate or international travellers.

WA’s active case count stands at 332, with one person in hospital but not in intensive care.

As of Thursday, the State’s triple-dose vaccination rate was 48 per cent for people aged 16 and over.