Obvious cracks in WA’s hotel quarantine system were revealed yesterday after a security guard tested positive to COVID-19, forcing the Perth, Peel and South West regions into lockdown.

Premier Mark McGowan admitted that the infected quarantine worker may have been working a second job as a rideshare-driver.

“I am advised that he may have had a second job along those lines, but I am also advised that he has not undertaken any work of that nature since Wednesday, which was his last day, working in hotel quarantine,” the Premier said.

“We think he acquired the illness on Tuesday or Wednesday of the last week.”

When asked why security guards were being allowed to work second jobs the Premier said it is “a difficult system to resolve”.

“Essentially, you know, you rely a lot on trust, because if people do an odd shift here or there, or elsewhere, it is hard to police that,” Mr McGowan said.

6PR’s Liam Bartlett said WA is now paying the price because of a “flawed” hotel quarantine system.

“What is the point of having closed borders, of closing off our state to other states, if we have a flawed system such as this?” Bartlett said.

“What is the point of putting people through quarantine, full stop, of forcing people to be isolated for two weeks if the very basis of the separation is so easily compromised.

“Why have we put people through the emotional distress of being cut off from family and friends in other parts of the country when the very centrepiece of the system that underpins it is fundamentally flawed.

“Quarantine, by definition, doesn’t work if our quarantine workers are not exercising the same level of care.

“How can it be that after twelve months of pandemic and three months of lessons from a quarantine bungle that saw 800 people die in Victoria, we appear to have learned nothing from their failure.

Click play to hear more on 6PR Mornings.

(Photo: Matt Jelonek/ Getty Images)