Western Australia Covid-19 restrictions easing much further from tomorrow

I am pleased to announce that based on the latest public health advice, from midnight tomorrow 12:01 am Saturday, 10 April, we will be raising capacity limits for certain indoor and outdoor venue with fixed seating to 100%, with no upper numerical cap.
This is a big step forward in the removal of restrictions – one that we can only take due to the hard work from Western Australians across the community, giving health experts the confidence to proceed.
The following indoor and outdoor venues will be able to move to 100 per cent of the fixed seating capacity, and SafeWA and contact registers will continue as mandatory:

Western Australia Covid-19 restrictions easing much further from tomorrow

Western Australia’s major venues such as Optus Stadium, RAC Arena, HBF Stadium – Main Arena, and HBF Park will be able to have 100 per cent of the fixed seating capacity in the spectator seating and special seating spaces.

Places of worship will be able to have 100 per cent of the capacity of a space being used for formal worship.
However, there are some restrictions that are needed based on health advice.

The 75% limit for restaurants, clubs and cafés with dedicated seating, and the two square metre rule for pubs, nightclubs, bars and other music events, will remain in place at this stage.

In the context of the continued absence of community transmission and the continued rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine across the country for vulnerable groups, the Chief Health Officer anticipates that the benefits of retaining the final physical distancing and mass gathering restrictions may well be reduced and therefore could possibly be removed.

To that end, the Chief Health Officer has recommended that the situation be reviewed in one month’s time, with further advice to be provided.

We should not forget, however, given our privileged position, this pandemic is not over. Despite the global vaccination effort, cases around the world are still rising.
Now, more than ever, we have to keep up our efforts, both in terms of our efforts as a Western Australia State, including our controlled border and hotel quarantine systems and as individuals.

Based on the latest expert health advice – important changes to our controlled border – New Zealand

This includes details on travel to Western Australia from New Zealand, the timing for Queensland to return to ‘very low risk’, and new advice regarding the timing of classification changes moving forward.
Travel from New Zealand to Western Australia

Following the national arrangements to allow for travel to and from New Zealand earlier this week, I can confirm that from 12:01 am, Monday the 19th of April, we will treat New Zealand as another jurisdiction under Western Australia’s controlled border regime.
At that point, it is expected that New Zealand will be classified as a ‘very low risk’ jurisdiction, pending health advice and any further outbreaks.

Under that classification, travellers from New Zealand will be able to undertake quarantine free travel to Western Australia, however arrivals will still require a G2G Pass, and to undergo the usual health screenings at the airport if required.
This is an encouraging step forward for Western Australia and the nation, taken with the same care and caution that has gotten us to the enviable position we find ourselves in today.

Timing of controlled border classification changes
Earlier this year the Chief Health Officer requested the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre review the requirement for 28 days of no community infections before a state or territory could move from the ‘low risk’ category to the ‘very low risk’ category.
The Chief Health Officer received this review last month and has considered its findings.

The review took into consideration analysis of outbreaks and periods of community transmission, as well as the successful use of border controls and the requirement for people having to complete 14 days of self-quarantine from the day they leave a higher-risk location.
So far the evidence shows that in Australia the greatest number of consecutive days of zero locally-acquired cases prior to the detection of the final case was six days.

The Chief Health Officer has recommended some refinements following the controlled border classification review.
Given where we are now a year into the pandemic and the situation in Australia has changed, and therefore, the Chief Health Officer has recommended a new benchmark.
Under his new advice, the requirements under the controlled border to move a ‘low risk’ jurisdiction to a ‘very low risk’ jurisdiction will change from at least 28 days to at least 14 days of no community cases of COVID-19.

Travel from Queensland to Western Australia regulations

Following the new benchmark advised by the Chief Health Officer, the requirement of at least 14 days before transitioning to ‘very low risk’ will now apply to Queensland.
Subject to no further community cases, Queensland will transition to ‘very low risk’ from 12:01 am on Monday, 19 April 2021.
That will also mean that if people are currently in self-quarantine under the Queensland border direction, they will be able to end their self-quarantine period as of 12:01 am on Monday, 19 April.
Under this change, arrivals from Queensland will still require a G2G Pass, and to undergo the usual health screenings at the airport if required.
—
The situation in many other places around the world is very different and very dangerous.
International travellers are the biggest carriers of this virus and therefore remain at the biggest risk of a virus outbreak.

It is, for this reason, we must remain cautious with our international border arrangements and how crucial hotel quarantine arrangements are to keeping Western Australia safe.
The flexibility and versatility of Western Australia’s controlled border regime, has worked well to keep Western Australia safe and strong.
It allows us to take these new steps forward without risking what we have achieved together.
However, I repeat, it’s essential that we keep up the good habits, said Mark McGowan.
Getting tested, adhering to the restrictions, checking in on the SafeWA app, staying home when sick and of course, getting vaccinated when it’s your turn.
We’ve come so far, learnt so much, and achieved incredible things. These next steps are incredibly exciting, but we must stay vigilant and continue to look after one another.

Covid-19 Update Western Australia

Western Australia COVID-19 update for Thursday, 8 April 2021.
No new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Western Australia overnight.
New active cases:
Overseas: 0
Local: 0
Total Western Australia cases: 951
Total Western Australia recoveries: 928
Active cases: 14
Vaccinations administered yesterday: 2,531
Total vaccines administered in Western Australia: 62,297
Second doses administered: 10,334
Regional tests conducted: 133,404
Overall tests conducted: 960,701

Testing Anyone in Western Australia will now be assessed for a COVID-19 test if they present with ANY of the following:

If you have these symptoms, please get tested, and help us identify every case of COVID-19 in Western Australia as early as possible.
To find a testing location, please visit: https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/ COVID-clinics
—-
Official information regarding COVID-19 in Western Australia – www.wa.gov.au/covid19
Western Australia Department of Health information – www.healthywa.wa.gov.au
National Coronavirus Helpline – 1800 020 080
Western Australia COVID-19 health and information and advice – 13 COVID (13 26843)

Western Australia Covid-19 restrictions easing much further from tomorrow