Coronavirus crisis: WA records 10 new COVID-19 cases as clusters grow

Ten new locally acquired COVID infections have been diagnosed overnight, with each case linked to an existing cluster.

Three of the new cases are linked to the Willagee IGA, while the remaining five are close contacts of a previously reported case in the Rockingham area.

The remaining two cases are connected to a cluster in Perth’s south western suburbs.

Premier Mark McGowan said none of the new infections were related to the outbreak at a Kemerton lithium plant, which currently stands at 17 cases.

Contact tracers are working with the new cases to determine whether they spent any time in the community while infectious.

So far, no new exposure sites have been listed.

There are two COVID patients receiving treatment in hospital – one of which, a returned overseas traveller in theirs 60 who was double vaccinated, remains in ICU.

Following the identification of a COVID positive case in Cunderdin on Wednesday, WA Health is urging anyone who lives in the Wheatbelt and has any symptoms to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Despite daily infections rising by double digits every day this week, just 5635 West Australians presented for testing on Australia Day – well down from 8368 on Tuesday and 9831 on Monday.

The number of cases confirmed to be the more transmissible but less deadly Omicron variant has increased by 50 since Monday, while no additional cases of any other strain have been identified.

Two additional COVID cases were also diagnosed in returned travellers, one from overseas and one from interstate.

Overall, there are 131 confirmed active cases in WA, of whom 17 are in hotel quarantine, 112 are self-isolating and two are in hospital.

The Australia Day public holiday coincided with a massive fall in SafeWA check-ins – dropping by 41 per cent to 1,289,548.

It was also a slower day for vaccinations, with just under 10,000 administered across the State.

From January 31, the interval between second and third doses falls to three months for all West Australians – making tens of thousands more eligible to receive a booster.