Questions are being asked as to how a COVID positive hotel quarantine security guard was able to call in sick yet still visit nearly 20 locations around Perth.

Health Minister Roger Cook revealed to Oliver Peterson protocols were not followed when the security guard reported being sick.

“In this case they directed the employee to see a GP,” he said.

“They really should have been directed directly to a COVID clinic.

“That employee took themselves to the GP the next day. I’m not happy with the speed with which he got to the COVID clinic.”

The quarantine hotels have since been advised workers are to go to a COVID clinic as a “matter of priority” should they feel unwell.

While there were no new cases today, the next 48 hours are crucial for determining if there has been community transmission. However Minister Cook is “quietly confident we are getting on top of it but it will just take a little more work this week.”

Normally 20,000 people are tested per week for COVID-19, but the State Government wants to see that number doubled.

“The more people we test, the greater the confidence we have that we’ve got full line of sight of the disease,” said Minister Cook.

Daily testing of front line workers came into effect on January 29. Minister Cook admitted it “would have been nice” if it was in place earlier.

“It is [hotel quarantine] our highest risk element and we’ve been putting a lot of work in to make sure we continue to improve it.”

An additional testing clinic has been set up at The Rise in Maylands (28 Eighth Ave). It’ll be open until 10 o’clock tonight and re-open at 7 tomorrow morning.