Premier Mark McGowan quashes rumours WA border will reopen in time for fifth Ashes test

Premier Mark McGowan has slammed Greg Hunt after he again weighed in on WA’s border, saying he wouldn’t know the federal health minister if he met him.

Premier Mark McGowan says Greg Hunt has a “vivid imagination” after quashing rumours the West Australian border may reopen in time to host the fifth Ashes test match.

Mr McGowan slammed the federal health minister for making the suggestion, saying he had never even met or spoken to Mr Hunt.

“I wouldn’t know him if I met him. He has a very vivid imagination,” the Premier told reporters on Monday.

“He hasn’t spoken to the (WA) Health Minister. I just urge the Commonwealth government to stop making things up.”

Premier Mark McGowan quashed rumours the state would reopen in time for the fifth Ashes test in January. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sharon Smith

Mr Hunt commented on WA’s border reopening during a television appearance on Sunday, saying the state could open to the rest of the country in the first few weeks of 2022.

“We are hearing that they are considering bringing that forward to at least, well coincidentally, to time with the cricket,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program.

But Mr McGowan rubbished the suggestion, adding “the Commonwealth has been difficult” since the pandemic began.

“The adventurous and unsafe approach was in NSW. What you saw there was hundreds and hundreds of people losing their lives and people losing their jobs,” he said.

“Whereas in Western Australia we’ve been safe and cautious and we’ve had the opposite outcome.

“I don’t want to undermine all of our good efforts and work over the last two years at last minute — it’s not long to go until we get to the 90 per cent (vaccination) mark.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt made the comment about the borders reopening during a television appearance on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

The Premier announced just one new case of Covid-19 on Monday, a member of an airline crew who had returned from Europe and tested positive in hotel quarantine.

The state is expected to hit 70 per cent of fully vaccinated people over the age of 12 later on Monday, and 83 per cent of people with a first dose.

With school leavers getting prepared to celebrate the end of their schooling, authorities have renewed their push for them to get vaccinated.

Teenagers looking to celebrate in the state’s popular South West region are being told they will need to get at least one vaccination against Covid-19 to be allowed at the official events in Dunsborough.

Mr McGowan said up to 10,000 leavers were set to descend on the events.

Police Commissioner and Covid-19 Vaccine Commander Chris Dawson said more than 2500 people had already registered with their vaccination certificates.

“It will be safe if all attendees are vaccinated but don’t leave it til the last minute,” he said.

He also warned criminal penalties would be laid if people were caught trying to get into the events without a vaccine certificate.