Western Australia's hard border will come down at 12:01am on Thursday March 3, allowing triple-dose vaccinated arrivals from interstate to enter WA without quarantining.
Key points:
- Quarantine-free travel to WA will be allowed for vaccinated travellers
- Social restrictions will be implemented to limit the spread of Omicron
- Case numbers are expected to peak at 10,000 a day by the end of March
International arrivals will also be allowed in if they meet the Commonwealth requirements to enter Australia, and take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival and report any positive result.
Premier Mark McGowan made the announcement as he conceded "the virus is already here and we cannot stop its spread", with the state set to reach a peak of 10,000 new cases a day by the end of March.
"March 3 will be a step forward for Western Australia, a safe step forward, taken at the right time, in the right way, for the right reasons," Mr McGowan said.
He said the border controls were still necessary while the state gets its vaccination levels up but they would no longer be effective by March 3.
All interstate arrivals will be provided with a RAT.
Unvaccinated returning Australians flying into Perth would be capped at 70 per week and they would be required to undergo a week of quarantine in a hotel.
In line with Commonwealth rules, unvaccinated international tourists will be banned.
Premier unveils restrictions to limit spread
From 6am Monday, the indoor mask mandate is also set to be extended to apply to the entire state.
At the same time 'level one measures' are due to come into effect for Perth, Peel, the South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt and the Pilbara.
These include a two square metre capacity limit for venues including:
- Hospitality and entertainment venues (eg bars, restaurants, cafes)
- Cultural venues
- Fitness venues
- Hairdressers
- Beauty services
- Places of worship
Forward-facing seated entertainment venues, such as theatres and cinemas, can have a 75 per cent capacity as can major stadiums.
Nightclubs must follow the two square metre rule, but crowds are capped at 500 people.
The casino will have seated service requirements on the gaming floor in addition to the two square metre rule.
The Premier said these rules would be disappointing to some operators but allowed major events, live music and hospitality venues to keep operating safely.
"It's important to note, that standing consumption is still allowed and dancing is still allowed," Mr McGowan said.
The Premier said the government would work out what compensation would need to be provided to affected businesses.
Meanwhile, home gatherings will be capped at 30 people and private outdoor events not at the home will be capped at 200 people.
Restrictions can be stepped up
The Premier also said people would not be required to work from home, but workplaces were encouraged to take COVID-safe measures.
Mark McGowan also outlined 'level two measures' which could be implemented at a later date if there were higher case numbers of the virus in the community.
"These would include the four square metre rule indoors, mask-wearing measures [in schools] for years 3 and above, working from home for vulnerable people, and home gatherings reduced to a total of ten people," he said.
The Premier also revealed that, based on health advice, bottle shops would be removed from proof of vaccination requirements immediately.
"This is being done ahead of a review of other proof of vaccination and contact registration measures, given that we're entering the next phase of the pandemic," he said.
Modelling predicts 10,000 cases a day
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson also revealed WA Health modelling based on the Omicron variant.
The modelling suggests the state will reach a peak by the end of March of 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day.
At the peak, 443 people are expected to be hospitalised in general hospital beds and another 53 people in intensive care.
There are also expected to be four deaths per day during the peak.
The total number of deaths is expected to reach between 134 and 146.
"I know this news will be confronting for many, as our successful management of the virus kept COVID out of our state for so long," Ms Sanderson said.
The Health Minister has promised to release the state government's Omicron modelling to the public early next week.
She said the modelling would be complete by then, but there was already data available within it to make the decisions announced today.
Ms Sanderson said the modelling suggested WA's hospital system, by making use of the private system too, would cope with the wave of Omicron cases.
"It will be tough, it's going to be a hard time, I'm not going to dress it up.
"This is going to be really challenging for our community, because we have not seen high levels of COVID cases, but we do have the beds."
CHO says modelling 'conservative'
The Chief Health Officer, Andy Robertson, said he anticipated WA may fare better than the modelling suggests.
"We've given some figures today, but we believe they are actually probably conservative and that our numbers will be lower than that," he said.
Dr Robertson said the modelling was quite accurate though as it was also based on data from WA's current outbreak so far.
He also warned that all outbreaks generally have a longer tail on the other side of a peak.
Dr Robertson said vaccine mandates had worked and encouraged people to get their booster shot.
"We're not proposing to drop mandates for any group at this stage," he said.
The state is expected to reach a 70 per cent triple-dosed rate by March 3.
From February 21, the Novovax COVID-19 vaccine will also be available at Kwinana, Perth Convention Centre and Mirrabooka for people aged over 18.
It will become available in the Goldfields, the Pilbara, and the Kimberley from February 28.
But the Novovax is not yet approved to be used as a third dose.
Premier will be in quarantine when the border opens
When the border comes down on March 3, any arrivals who are still in quarantine will be allowed out.
That will include the Premier who will have returned from Sydney where he is required to give evidence in defamation proceedings with mining billionaire Clive Palmer.
But Mark McGowan has said he will remain in quarantine after the border opens and do a full seven days of isolation.
"It is a coincidence I am unable to avoid, that I return from Sydney, and I am in quarantine when the border comes down," he said.
"But I will be doing seven days of quarantine, I will be in a hotel room, working from a hotel room, doing a full seven days.
Mark McGowan was also asked how the public could trust the reopening date would not be changed again.
"This date is locked in, and I can't foresee a situation where it would change," he said.
"It's only 12 days away, it's a lot closer than last time."
The Premier went on to explain that the arrival of Omicron had been an unexpected "catastrophe".
AHA says restrictions 'reasonable'
The Australian Hotels Association has welcomed the government's decision not to introduce a four-square-metre rule at this stage.
AHA WA CEO Bradley Woods said while the two-square-metre rule would have an impact, it's a "reasonable restriction".
Mr Woods said it would be harder on smaller venues and hoped it would only be a "short-term measure".
"Certainly WA has had sensible measures in place and sensible restrictions that have only been relevant to the period that is needed and I'm confident going forward that that will continue to be the case."
WA opens after two years of border controls
The announcement comes just one month after Mr McGowan delayed the border reopening, which had previously been set for February 5.
The initial border opening date was set on December 13, linked to Delta variant-based modelling and a prediction of high double dose vaccination rates in WA.
When announcing that date, Mr McGowan said it would be "locked in barring some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe which we cannot predict".
But on January 20, after the Omicron variant had led to cases, hospitalisations, and deaths skyrocketing interstate and overseas, Mr McGowan said the reopening would be delayed indefinitely.
Instead, Mr McGowan promised there would be a four-week review of the border reopening decision by the Chief Health Officer and WA Health.
He said the delay would allow more West Australians to get a third dose of the vaccination and more time to learn from the reopening and Omicron experiences interstate.
Since the delay, the McGowan government has been under immense pressure from industry, unions, the Opposition, and many in the general public to reveal Omicron-based modelling for WA and to say when an announcement on the border would be made.
WA has had some form of control on its borders for the past 696 days after March 24, 2020 saw all arrivals in the state forced to isolate for 14 days.
Opposition calls for 'ironclad guarantee'
WA Opposition Leader Mia Davies welcomed Friday's announcement.
She said the Premier had "heeded" calls from the Opposition.
But she said there needed to be an "ironclad guarantee" the date would not change.
"We've been waiting for so long and everybody in Western Australia has done the right thing," she said.
"This date must stick."
Liberal leader David Honey said it was pleasing to see the Premier had "come to his senses".
"The borders need to be open. That's the best health outcome for the people of Western Australia," he said.
Restrictions 'appropriate and measured': AMA
The Australian Medical Association's WA president Mark Duncan-Smith was not overly concerned the restrictions did not match the ones in South Australia, as he had been calling for.
"The restrictions that have been put in place are appropriate and measured," Dr Duncan-Smith said.
"These restrictions aren't as severe as South Australia, however, vaccination rates in WA have moved over those three weeks and accordingly these restrictions are appropriate."
Dr Duncan-Smith said the restrictions would have to be carefully monitored to ensure they helped "flatten the curve".
Restrictions a 'necessary trade-off': Chamber of Commerce
WA Chamber of Commerce chief economist Aaron Morey said businesses would be breathing a "sigh of relief".
He said this was especially true for those operating across borders, or those wishing to do so.
"They can step forward now with much more certainty, plan their business, plan their operations and start to take on the rest of the country and the world for WA," he said.
Mr Morey described the restrictions as a "necessary trade-off" to be able to reconnect.
The announcement comes as the state recorded 202 new COVID cases, a new daily record, including 194 locally transmitted cases.
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