A city in Australia is trialling housing homeless people in a five-star hotel in a bid to protect them from the spread of coronavirus.

Initially, 20 of Perth’s most at-risk rough sleepers will be provided a bed at the Pan Pacific Hotel as part of the ‘Hotels with Heart’ pilot.

If successful, 120 rooms at the hotel could be made available to homeless people, and the scheme may be expanded to accommodate victims of domestic violence and those suffering from mental health problems.

Community Services Minister, Simone McGurk, said the initiative could help ‘flatten the curve’ in Western Australia.

According to the Daily Mail, she said: “‘The Hotels with Heart’ pilot learns from similar initiatives happening interstate and around the world, including in the United Kingdom, America and Canada.

“It demonstrates what can be achieved when there is collaboration across the private, community service and government sectors.

“With the help of community service organisations, this initiative will take the pressure off the health system in Western Australia and potentially help to flatten the curve as the State fights to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“The Hotels with Heart pilot also aims to sustain our hotel sector for when the COVID‑19 threat is eliminated.”

There are a total of 355 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Western Australia, while there are 4,459 cases nationwide. A total of 19 people have died in the country after contracting the virus.

Earlier this month, around 300 hotel rooms were made available to homeless people in London as part of a trial, with Mayor Sadiq Khan’s working with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) to block-book rooms at a discounted rate for a 12-week period.