An investigation is under way after an infection-control breach involving the transfer of a COVID-19 positive patient at the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).

A service lift was not properly cordoned off after it was used to transport a man in his 60s from the emergency department to the intensive care unit on Saturday.

“Review of CCTV footage has identified that three staff members, who were not wearing PPE, unknowingly entered the lift within 15 minutes of the patient transport, prior to it being cleaned,” East Metropolitan Health Service chief executive Liz MacLeod said in a statement on Sunday.

There's been a safety breach at Royal Perth Hospital, potentially exposing staff to COVID. #9News pic.twitter.com/UQGcQNpVJ8

— 9News Perth (@9NewsPerth) April 18, 2021

“WA Health public health officials have been assisting RPH and said the three staff members involved had followed correct current procedures and that any risk of COVID-19 transmission was deemed to be very low.”

The staff members have been placed in self-quarantine in “an abundance of caution”.

Two of the three were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while the third had received their first dose, the statement said.

Three staff members from Royal Perth Hospital are in quarantine after they were exposed to infection during the transfer of a COVID-19 positive captain evacuated from a ship off the Pilbara coast#CoronavirusCovid19 #Premium #News https://t.co/tw8iIfoa7q

— H24 News Australia (@h24news_au) April 18, 2021

“There is no public health risk to other members of staff or hospital patients or visitors,” Ms MacLeod said.

Sunday’s reported figures showed Western Australia to have at least six overseas-acquired cases of COVID-19 in quarantine.