Coronavirus crisis: No new cases but test pick up another historical COVID-19 case

Go back to work but leave your lunchbox at home.

That’s the message from Mark McGowan on the eve of WA’s first big step back to normality.

Hundreds of cafes, restaurants and pubs will open for the first time in weeks tomorrow and the Premier urged West Australians to get behind small business owners who have had their revenue decimated by restrictions designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the best things we can do is support each other through this pandemic, and return to our favourite local cafe or restaurant,” Mr McGowan said.

“When our offices go back, which I expect they will to a far greater degree tomorrow, there’s a great opportunity to go out for lunch or dinner and support a local small business,” Mr McGowan said.

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia declared “WA is getting back to business” and revealed 44,000 people had been certified for completing the McGowan Government’s mandatory COVID safety training module for hospitality workers.

Health Minister Roger Cook said the COVID safety plan for businesses had been downloaded 8800 times.

The mass return to work – and to the pub – comes after WA recorded another day of zero new coronavirus cases, although the historic figure was again revised upward by one.

Mr Cook said the case, a woman in her 30s from Perth, was from seven weeks ago and had been confirmed positive after the initial PCR test conducted at the time was inconclusive.

She was the close contact of a known COVID case, had self-quarantined at home and was subject to the usual contact tracing process despite the inconclusive test, Mr Cook said.

She is no longer infectious and brings the WA total to 557 cases.

Of those, just five remain active including one in the Goldfields. Just one coronavirus patients remains in hospital.