Western Australia will finally be open to the rest of the world as Premier Mark McGowan gives up on his zero-Covid dream.
The WA Premier announced on Friday afternoon that the hard borders would come down at 12.01am on March 3, after 202 new Covid cases were recorded on Friday – the state’s highest ever daily figure.
The western state had strict border restrictions in place for nearly 700 days throughout the Covid pandemic.
Both interstate and international travellers will be required to complete a G2G pass before entering the state, and must take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival.
Unvaccinated returning Australians from overseas will need to stay in hotel quarantine for one week.
Only interstate travellers who have had three Covid doses will be able to enter the state without quarantining upon arrival.
‘We have an outbreak in WA that we can’t stop and its numbers continue to climb,’ the premier said on Friday.
‘Eventually there comes a point where the border is ineffective.’
Western Australia’s hermit state status has been shattered by the announcement of its highest number of Covid-19 cases in a day on Thursday – and another huge spike on Friday
Mr McGowan said by March 3 the state’s third vaccination rate was expected to be at 70 per cent.
The Premier also revealed that more Covid restrictions would be put in place before the borders are lifted.
The indoor mask mandate will be extended to state-wide on February 21.
The one person per two square metre rule will also be implemented in hospitality, entertainment and fitness venues in Perth, Peel and the south west regions.
Standing with drinks and dancing will still be allowed.
Calls for Mr McGowan to fully re-open the state to the rest of Australia had grown louder in recent weeks as Omicron spread around the state.
Mr McGowan delayed opening the state to the rest of Australia after initially announcing border restrictions would end on February 5.
He said opening the borders on that date would have been an ‘unforced error’.
Western Australia’s border will come down on March 3 to vaccinated interstate and overseas arrivals
The western state had strict border restrictions in place for nearly 700 days throughout the Covid pandemic (pictured loved ones reunite at Perth Airport)
The state’s new cases recorded on Friday include 194 locally acquired infections and 8 from travellers to the state detected in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
There are now more than 724 active cases in Western Australia.
Today’s case numbers contrast with just 37 local cases announced a week ago and a record 177 new cases on Wednesday, followed by 189 on Thursday.
On Tuesday Mr McGowan indicated an announcement about dropping border controls will be made this month.
‘I can’t give you an exact answer [when], but clearly with our vaccination rates growing very significantly and the eastern states coming off the peak and children’s vaccination rates growing, and as case numbers climb here, we’ll reach an outcome at some time and we’ll make that announcement during this month,’ he said.
‘What yesterday showed is there’s going to be growth case numbers here in Western Australia of Omicron and what that says is go and get your third dose.’
Wa Premier Mark McGowan is under pressure to end the state’s stringent border restrictions now that Omicron has spread in the state. Pictured: Passengers have their vaccination status checked at Perth Airport
Just over 54 per cent of West Australians 16 years and over had now received a third vaccine dose, with 98.6 per cent of residents receiving one dose and 95.1 per cent receiving two doses.
The state’s health department moved public hospitals in Perth and Peel, the Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern to the ‘amber alert’ stage on Thursday.
Amber proceeds ‘red’, which signifies widespread transmission of the virus and ‘black’ which indicates the health system at capacity.
A health care worker prepares a vaccine at the Covid-19 mass vaccination clinic at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
‘There is currently no-one in hospital [with Covid-19],’ WA Health said in a statement.
WA has now recorded 2,693 cases since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Comments on Mr McGowan’s Facebook post about the latest statistics varied between West Australians calling for a lockdown and stricter border controls to those who recognised the ‘hard’ border was now redundant.
‘If cases increase like this you might as well just open the bloody border,’ one person commented.
‘If there are several hundred local cases a day in WA, what’s another 20 coming off a plane?’ another commented.
‘He needs to lock us down for a week so he can put a stop to it spreading anymore,’ another person countered.
Jetstar announced it had cancelled flights out of Perth until at least April due to ongoing uncertainty over the state’s hard border closure
Earlier, Jetstar announced it had cancelled flights out of Perth until at least April due to ongoing uncertainty over the state’s hard border closure.
In a statement, Qantas Group confirmed up to 15 flights a week will continue to land in Perth from interstate, carrying essential personnel and freight.
Qantas also announced it would continue to route its London flights through Darwin rather than Perth,
‘The Perth to London service was scheduled to revert to operating via Perth in April, but with the West Australian Government yet to confirm a reopening date for the state, Qantas will continue to operate the route via Darwin until at least June 2022,’ Qantas said in a statement.
