WA supercharges border rules under ‘high’ and ‘extreme’ risk categories

Western Australia will place its harshest measures yet on travellers from COVID-infected states, including having to prove they have received at least one vaccine dose and have recorded a negative PCR test in the three days before their departure.

The changes come under an overhaul of WA’s COVID-19 state classifications, which include stricter testing and vaccine rules under its ‘high risk’ category and the introduction of an ‘extreme risk’ category that will see travellers having to complete two weeks hotel quarantine.

WA Premier Mark McGowan at a press conference August 13, 2021, where he announced harder border measures with NSW.Credit: Peter de Kruijff

The changes are the most significant boosts to border controls since the hard border was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic and come as New South Wales announced a record 390 new cases and two more deaths.

The new high-risk category will be triggered when a state records a daily average of 50 new community cases, while the extreme risk category will be declared when an average of 500 new community cases is recorded.

The new rules will only apply to people who have an exemption to enter the state, but with 61 people driving from New South Wales on Thursday and 41 people expected on Friday, Mr McGowan said there was still a significant risk.

Mr McGowan said New South Wales would be upgraded to ‘high risk’ on August 17.

“What is happening in New South Wales continues to be a growing concern for their own citizens and for the entire country, given it is continually seeding the virus into other states,” he said.

“These criteria are very tough, this hasn’t been done before in Australia ... we’ve done it for other overseas countries, we haven’t done it between the states, but I think it’s entirely fair.

“These are tough measures, but they’re necessary to protect the state, and they’re needed, as soon as possible.”

Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson, who provided the health advice informing the new border rules, said the testing and vaccine proof requirements were introduced to reduce infection risks.

“We know that that vaccines do reduce both the infection rate of somebody who’s vaccinated and obviously the spread from that person. This was a good opportunity to actually strengthen that and decrease the risk of importation into WA,” he said.

WA’s new controlled border rules.

Under the new high-risk rules, approved travellers will be subject to all medium-risk restrictions as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the 72 hours prior to their departure, proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the requirement to use the G2G Now app while in quarantine.

Approved travellers under the new extreme risk category will also be required to complete two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine at a state facility and also receive an additional COVID-19 test on day five.

For ‘extreme risk’ situations, exemptions will be restricted to only Commonwealth state and specialist functions.

However, for the high-risk category compassionate exemption guidelines will be adjusted to allow stranded West Australians to return home.

“What it’s saying is if you are a Western Australian in New South Wales and you’re despairing about coming home, it gives you a pathway to come back provided you are vaccinated,” Mr McGowan said.

He also announced from midnight Friday, the ACT would be designated a ‘medium risk’ jurisdiction, which will restrict travel to WA to exempted travellers only and require them to self-isolate for 14 days.

South Australia will also be downgraded to a low-risk category, which will allow travel without exemption but also requires 14 days self-isolation.