Western Australia will force South Australian arrivals to quarantine for 14 days

Western Australia has clamped down on border restrictions for travellers from one state after it recorded worrying new Covid cases today.

Western Australian health authorities will force all arrivals from South Australia to isolate for 14 days under tightened border rules.

The new rules will classify South Australia as a ‘low-risk’ jurisdiction, meaning vaccinated people will still be able to travel to WA from South Australia without an exemption, but will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

It comes after SA recorded three new Covid cases and announced new exposure sites – taking the total number of cases since the state reopened its borders on November 23 to nine.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the move was a response to concerns about the new Omicron variant which has sparked alarm across the globe.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty about the recently emerged Omicron variant so it is important Western Australia has strong protections in place for states which have relaxed their international borders,” Mr McGowan said.

“With little known about the variant, it is important we act with an abundance of caution in dealing with potential spread into WA from overseas travellers arriving in other states.”

SA travellers with plans to head to WA in the coming days have been told their existing approval to enter the state has been cancelled.

The changes mean WA is only allowing quarantine-free travel from Tasmania and Queensland, with restrictions in place for arrivals from New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and now South Australia.

WA Premier Mark McGowan made the announcement on Saturday. Picture: Jackson Flindell.

Current cases in South Australia include a man aged in his 40s and two women – one aged in her 20s and the other in her 50s – who all acquired their infections interstate.

Another confirmed case is a child who has been reported and counted in another jurisdiction, however is now in SA and is included in the state’s active case numbers.

From next week, travellers entering South Australia will need to show evidence of a negative Covid test result within 72 hours of their arrival, under major new border changes.

SA borders reopened on November 23rd. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The new rules, which take effect at 12.01am Monday, come as authorities announce more exposure sites in Adelaide and the state’s South East.

SA Health added Qantas Flight QF683 from Melbourne to Adelaide to its growing list of “casual contact” exposure locations on Friday.

Passengers on the flight are required to get tested immediately and quarantine until they receive a negative result.

The bathroom at Adelaide Airport has also been added as an exposure location from that morning.

A country pub has also been added to the list, with anyone who attended The Willalooka Tavern, on the Riddoch Highway between Keith and Padthaway, on Saturday November 20 asked to quarantine for seven or 14 days depending on their vaccination status.

The new direction for SA travellers to WA comes after Western Australia’s vaccine commander Chris Dawson said the state’s strict border rules were likely to loosen “sometime in January”.

Mr McGowan has shut down speculation about the state’s borders opening. Picture: Colin Murty.

But Premier Mark McGowan was more circumspect, saying it would be “late January or early February”.

Mr McGowan has remained clear he will set a reopening date once the state hits its vaccination target of 80 per cent and aim to open based on 90 per cent coverage.