WA to ease border restrictions with NSW, impose mandatory vax policy for states with transmission and (finally) roll out COVID roadmap

Western Australia is set to ease travel requirements for visitors from NSW, as the state readies to impose mandatory vaccination for all states with COVID-19 transmission.

From Friday, domestic travellers from medium-, high- and extreme-risk jurisdictions will need to be fully vaccinated to enter the state with low-risk jurisdictions following suit on 15 November.

This means that from tomorrow, alongside the states mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing requirements, those travelling from the ACT, NSW and Victoria will need to provide proof they are fully vaccinated unless they are under the age of 12 or have a medical exemption.

From Saturday, NSW will transition from the extreme-risk category to high-risk under WA’s border arrangements. Those travelling from NSW will still need to be approved through the G2G Pass system, provide proof they are fully vaccinated, self-quarantine for 14 days, present a negative test taken within 72 hours of departure and undergo a test on arrival and on day 12.

Currently, the Australian Capital Territory is classified as medium risk and Victoria is classified as extreme risk.

Quarantine-free travel is permitted from the remainder of the country, as Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania are all classified as very-low-risk jurisdictions.

“With case numbers declining in NSW, the chief health officer has advised NSW can transition to the high-risk setting,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

“Our safe and sensible border controls have kept Western Australians safe, as states like NSW and Victoria have battled significant and sustained outbreaks.

“As our vaccination rate continues to climb, we must remain cautious and vigilant, and take every precaution to ensure we are in the best position for when COVID-19 does inevitably enter WA.”

McGowan said he will reveal a roadmap outlining how WA will shift to living with COVID-19 on Friday, according to ABC News.

“We haven’t rushed it because we have had the luxury of time that other states have not,” he said.

The WA premier also said the state government will invest an additional $400 million in 270 new hospital beds across the health system to increase capacity and be extra prepared for when border controls are further eased and COVID-19 enters the Western Australian community.

McGowan was recently forced to do a bit of explaining after the state’s health department appeared to accidentally release details of a plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all interstate visitors.

The info has since been removed from the WA government’s page, with McGowan putting it down to an administrative error.

According to the latest data released by the state, WA has fully vaccinated 63.3 per cent of its population. The state plans to boost this number on 6 and 7 November with a ‘Super Vax Weekend’.

Featured image source: YouTube/ABC News (Australia)