Perth hotel temporarily closed after man allegedly breaches COVID-19 restrictions

A Perth hotel has been temporarily closed after a 53-year-old man allegedly breached coronavirus restrictions.

Police allege the man breached COVID-19 rules when he returned to Western Australia without applying to re-enter the state after visiting family in Queensland.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Steele said the man arrived in Perth last night and complained of chest pains.

He was allowed entry to the state and was issued a hospital direction and taken by ambulance.

After being treated, he was instructed to wait to be taken to hotel quarantine but left to check into a backpackers hostel in the Perth suburb of Northbridge.

"He is currently in a centre quarantine at a hotel. He has a 24/7 police guard in relation to this particular hotel," Mr Steele told reporters.

"As you may recall, the acting Commissioner made a decision last week that anyone that we deemed to be of risk of absconding from quarantine requirements would be placed in a hotel and police officers would be present 24/7, and that is the case."

Mr Steele said police found the man at a Northbridge hotel within 20 minutes of him being in the bar. He said he understood there were up to 200 people in the hotel at the time.

Despite low risk of COVID-19 exposure the man was tested as a precautionary measure.

The hotel management voluntarily elected to close the hotel and undertake cleaning.

In Western Australia, breaching quarantine carries a fine of up to $50,000, and a penalty of up to 12 months imprisonment.

"WA police have undertaken over 36,000 compliance checks for people in quarantine, and I have to say that the majority of people have complied with their quarantine requirements," Mr Steele said.

"It is unfortunate that there is a very, very small pocket of people who disregard the requirements, and they disrespect our community."

The man will face Perth Magistrates Court over a Fail to Comply with Direction at a later date.