The Western Australian government has announced a further easing of COVID-19 restrictions for venues, as well as some good news for travellers from Victoria.
Increased capacity of up to 75 per cent will be allowed at outdoor and indoor venues, including cafés, restaurants, bars, auditoriums, theatres and amphitheatres, concert halls, cinemas, comedy lounges, performing arts centres, function centres, community/recreation/youth centres and facilities, and major stadiums.
If the two-square-metre rule is greater than 75 per cent capacity, the WA government said the greater option will be permitted for these particular venues and events. The two-square-metre rule will continue to apply to all other unfixed seating venues and facilities.
Pending no further COVID-19 outbreaks, these changes will come into effect from 12.01am (local time) on Monday 15 March.
At the same time, Victoria will transition from a ‘low risk’ jurisdiction to a ‘very low risk’ jurisdiction under WA’s border rules.
This means that quarantine-free travel will be permitted into the state from Victoria, subject to a few updated conditions.
Travellers from Victoria will need to complete a G2G Pass declaration stipulating they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and which jurisdictions they have been in over the previous 14 days.
Furthermore, all Perth Airport arrivals from Victoria will have to undergo a health screening and temperature test, and must be prepared to take a COVID test at the airport’s coronavirus clinic, if deemed necessary by a health clinician.
Land arrivals from Victoria will be met at WA’s border checkpoint for a health screening and to have their G2G Pass declaration checked.
This will mark the first time all Australian jurisdictions have been classified ‘very low risk’ under WA’s border arrangements.
WA’s international arrival cap increased from 512 to 900 last week, as agreed with the Commonwealth. The cap will then increase further and return to 1,025 from 26 March, making WA the state accepting the most returning Aussies per capita.
Since early January, the state has been taking 512 arrivals from overseas each week because of the heightened risks associated with the concerning COVID situations overseas.
Featured image source: iStock/NeoPhoto
