WA Premier Mark McGowan releases reopening road map as other states normalise Covid-19

WA has finally released its plan to reopen the state and begin living with Covid-19, but there is one surprise catch.

Western Australia’s strict Covid-19 border controls will remain until the state has achieved a 90 per cent double-dose vaccination rate.

Other Aussie jurisdictions have eased border controls when 80 per cent of their residents aged above 16 had been vaccinated against Covid-19.

But WA Premier Mark McGowan said the state would reopen when 90 per cent of residents aged 12 and older were fully inoculated, confident this extra step would save 200 lives.

According to the sate modelling, the state would reach that target at the end of January or early February.

“The difference in easing border controls at 90 per cent rather than 80 per cent is 200 West Australian lives are saved,” he told reporters on Friday morning.

“Even at the most basic level, the differences are stark. They cannot be ignored, nor can the benefits.

“The modelling is not an exact prediction of the future, but the numbers cannot be overlooked.”

WA Premier Mark McGowan says the state will reopen when 90 per cent of residents aged 12 and older were fully inoculated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

The divisive measure meant WA families would not be reunited with loved ones from other jurisdictions at Christmas.

When asked why WA had veered from the national plan – which was to reopen state borders at an 80 per cent vaccination rate – Mr McGowan said the eastern states had instead “done completely different things to the national plan”.

“NSW and Victoria have ignored every agreement that was put in place,” he said.

“They opened up internationally when the agreement was not that that would happen.

“Our circumstances are different to theirs. We do not have community spread, we do not have scores of people dying. We do not have hospitals in the condition theirs are in because of Covid patients”

WA Premier Mark McGowan is urging residents to get vaccinated so the state can reopen. Picture: Tony McDonough / NCA NewsWire,

WA state officials will in December confirm an exact reopening date.

At that time travel will be permitted from all jurisdictions across Australia.

Arrivals from interstate will be required to be double-dose vaccinated, return a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to departure, and undertake a test within 48 hours of entering WA.

International arrivals won‘t be subject to quarantine if they’re double-dose vaccinated, but international arrivals who were not double-dose vaccinated would be required to complete 14 days’ quarantine in a designated facility.

All arrivals will be required to complete a G2G pass.

The border controls and G2G pass requirements will be “reviewed regularly and phased out when appropriate”, based on the health advice at the time, Mr McGowan said.

Originally published as WA Premier Mark McGowan releases reopening road map as other states normalise Covid-19