Meg Russell
On 5 February, Australia’s most isolated state- Western Australia, will reopen its borders to the rest of the country and the world after nearly two years.
On Monday 13 December, Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia, announced plans to allow international and interstate travel from 5 February. This is when it is expected the state will reach its target of fully vaccinating 90% of the population.
Barring unforeseen emergency, according to McGowan, at 12.01am on 5 February the borders will officially open and quarantine free travel will begin. However, a host of restrictions are set to be implemented that same week.
These changes will bring about an end to the “island within an island” approach that has been pursued by the McGowan government in Western Australia (WA).
The changes to Western Australia’s rules and restrictions
While the borders are officially reopening, travel into WA will still be subject to various restrictions. After living relatively normally throughout the pandemic, WA residents will navigate its ‘Safe Transition’ from 5 February.
Today I can announce that at 12:01am Saturday, 5 February, Western Australia will ease its hard border restrictions for vaccinated travellers.
This will be a major step forward for our State in how we manage the COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/SVPvoWMYPw
— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) December 13, 2021
Currently, travel into WA is tightly restricted. All international arrivals are subject to mandatory hotel quarantine, and interstate travel is regulated through ‘risk’ jurisdictions. From Sunday 19 December, these risk levels mean that travel from all states requires a 14-day quarantine period.
Once the changes on 5 February are brought in, travel rules will be relaxed. Fully vaccinated arrivals will need a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure, and will be required to test again within 48 hours of arrival and on their sixth day. Domestic travellers will not require the day six test.
For the unvaccinated, no interstate arrivals will be allowed unless they are exempt. Unvaccinated international arrivals will be permitted, but subject to 14-day quarantine at a designated facility.
Once travel resumes, certain community-based restrictions will be introduced to mitigate public health risks.
Masks will be required in high-risk indoor settings, such as public transport, ride shares, airports, in hospitals and care homes. Proof of vaccination will be required at large venues events of 1,000 or more people, nightclubs, the casino, and major stadiums, while other businesses will be able to choose to mandate vaccination as a condition of entry.
Any regions within Western Australia that fail to reach at least 80% double vaccination by 5 February will be subject to broader proof of vaccination and mask requirements. These areas include the Pilbara in the north of the state, roughly a five-and-a-half-hour flight from the states capital Perth, which has vaccination rates below 50%.
Regions such as these will face widespread indoor mask use, as well as proof of vaccination for entry to venues such as pubs, bars, gyms and other indoor entertainment venues.
Western Australia: an isolated state in an isolated country
Australia’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was a strategy of elimination. As Covid-19 broke through mandatory hotel quarantines in different places, states imposed harsh lockdown measures in response. Aside from implementing international travel and border restrictions, the federal government has had a relatively hands off approach to tackling the pandemic.
Restrictions in Australia have largely been imposed by state and territory leaders in response to localised outbreaks. These have involved lockdowns, most notably in Melbourne last year, as well as border restrictions between states, which have occurred with little notice. A patchwork of restrictions has pervaded the country throughout the last two years as different states and territories tried to contain and prevent outbreaks.
Throughout 2021, restrictions have become tied to vaccination rates, as the country tried to navigate its way from a strategy of elimination to adapting to living with community spread.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has already led to the federal government pushing back relaxations to international arrival rules. With 90% of the eligible population double vaccinated, most restrictions within the country have been relaxed substantially, though international travel is still difficult.
Western Australia hasn’t had a Covid-19 case since late June, and has maintained hard border restrictions for most other states throughout the pandemic. While the federal government pushed for states the open up for domestic travel once they achieved 80% double vaccination rates, McGowan has maintained that 90% coverage is essential.
While Western Australians have managed to live a normal life throughout much of the pandemic, it has come at a cost. The easing of travel restrictions on 5 February will in all likelihood mean that Covid-19 transmission will occur in the community. However, the relaxed restrictions will provide relief for businesses that have struggled without seasonal workers and tourist trade, as well as providing families and loved ones a long-anticipated chance to reunite.
Featured image courtesy of Lukas Souza via Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
