Covid wave could force Australians to wear masks as Perth hospital closes over outbreak

A busy hospital was forced to close its ward due to a Covid outbreak as health zealots claim Australians aren’t caring enough about the new virus wave.

Peel Health Campus, in Perth’s south, temporarily shut down its general ward on Friday after four patients and six staff tested positive.

Infected staff were ordered to go home and isolate for seven days while their peers are undergoing frequent Covid testing.

Western Australian chief health officer Dr Andy Robertson has not ruled out bringing back restrictions ahead of the festive season.

‘(Mandating) face masks is something we would consider,’ Dr Robertson said.

‘There are always options we could look at, if for example, we got a variant that was a lot more severe or a lot more people were getting seriously unwell.

‘There are obviously options we can consider, but at this stage we are just strongly encouraging isolation, mask wearing (around vulnerable people) and obviously people staying at home (if they are unwell).’

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant added the fourth Covid wave was ‘taking off with some trajectory’.

‘It will be quite a steep wave and hopefully the decline will be equally as steep,’ she told ABC. 

‘That’s why it’s important the community takes these protective measures now and I can’t stress the urgency – if you’re going to get vaccinated, do it immediately.’ 

But some experts insist more needed to be done and warned Australians have become too complacent about the pandemic.

A ‘fourth wave’ of the virus is gaining momentum and some health experts want restrictions including mandatory face masks to return just when Australians thought they were gone for good.

Cases skyrocketed by as much as 80 per cent in some states with the BQ.1 and XBB Covid strains running rampant. 

It comes as Australians have been warned they have become too complacent about the pandemic as the fourth wave of the virus gains momentum and experts call for the re-introduction of restrictions including mandatory face masks (stock image)

Burnet Institute director professor Brendan Crabb fired off a series of tweets saying more needed to be done by federal and state governments.

‘Clarity from the top is essential because (Australians) think it’s over and don’t know how much suffering and disruption can be averted with simple actions,’ he wrote.

He added in another tweet: ‘Even without a wave, (it’s) likely half a million-plus will get Covid by the year’s end, 20,000-plus will get long Covid and 1,000-plus people will die. With this wave it will be worse. Please vax, mask, test and ventilate.’ 

Professor Crabb joined a group of researchers studying the long-term impacts of the virus and co-authored a study warning of its detrimental impacts.

‘(These can) include effects on the lungs, heart, brain and immune system,’ they wrote on The Conversation.

Western Australia chief health officer Dr Andy Robertson has not ruled out some restrictions returning ahead of the festive season (stock image)

‘At 12 months after infection, the risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other complications, including sudden death, are about double compared to people who were never infected. 

‘Chronic complications can occur even after mild infection — including heart failure, strokes and dementia.’

Deakin University chair of epidemiology Catherine Bennett said unlike last year when there was one dominant strain of Covid, there were now several running rampant.

‘The big difference between this Christmas and last is that the virus is now circulating in the community,’ she said.

‘We were only starting to open up this time last year. The other difference is that we now have multiple variants, and we haven’t really had that in the community. 

‘It’s usually been one dominant variant or two outbreaks with one getting under control before the other one takes off.’ 

Face mask mandates are one of the restrictions that could return as the fourth Covid wave ramps up

Many residents may have mentally moved on from the pandemic just as health experts sound the alarm that the latest wave is set to get worse before Christmas.

Ramsay Health Care said its hospitals had precautions in place to prevent the spread of Covid outbreaks.

Peel Health Campus staff are undergoing regular testing while their infected peers have been sent home to isolate. 

‘Peel Health Campus has rigorous infection control policies, practices and protocols and patients known to have Covid upon their admission to hospital are treated in line with those,’ she said.