International students allowed to enter Western Australia in last minute border backflip

Following the announcement to scrap the February 5 border reopening, WA Premier Mark McGowan has made a last minute decision.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has backflipped on his decision to let international students enter the state, allowing them in if they are vaccinated and quarantine for 14 days once they arrive.

Thousands of international students were caught in limbo when the Prmeier sensationally scrapped the February 5 reopening date due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The January 20 announcement made it impossible for students to organise to arrive at international airports in various other states before travelling to Perth ahead of the start of the university year.

However, the government has quietly revealed a complete policy backflip in a document called the Returning Students Directions (No 2).

It states that returning international students are allowed to come into Australia and cross into WA from other states if they are fully vaccinated and agree to self-quarantine for 14 days.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has backflipped on his decision to let international students enter the state, allowing them in if they are vaccinated and quarantine for 14 days once they arrive. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

“These directions set out the requirements that apply to returning students and are for the purpose of preventing the importation of Covid-19 into Western Australia and otherwise limiting the spread of Covid-19 into Western Australia,” the document reads.

A returning student must provide proof they are fully vaccinated or provide a medical exemption when entering the state, has access to “suitable premises” located within 200km of their point of entry into Western Australia and must download a G2G Now app while in quarantine.

All students must also get tested on the first and 12th day of their quarantine.

“It may be an offence not to comply with any of these directions, punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 months or a fine of up to $50,000 for an individual or $250,000 for a body corporate,” the document reads.

It is not clear whether it allows new international students into the country to begin their studies this year.

International Education ­Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood warned the backflip was “policymaking on the run” and the state will “continue to suffer”.

“The victims of these policy backflips are the students as well as education providers who still aren’t certain which of their enrolled students will qualify for a semester one start,” he told The Australian.

Meanwhile, universities are welcoming the decision to allow returning students into the state after being infuriated with the shutdown announcement last week.

People are urged to get vaccinated. Picture: Tony McDonough/NCA NewsWire

On Thursday, WA recorded 10 new local cases, as well as one interstate and one overseas traveller.

Three cases are close contacts linked to the Willagee IGA sub-cluster, five are close contacts of a previously reported case in Rockingham, and two are close contacts linked to the South West sub-cluster.

“All cases are now in quarantine and public health continue to investigate and monitor them,” WA Health said in a statement.

“Contact tracers are working with these cases to determine potential public exposure sites.”

There are currently 131 active cases in WA, with 17 in hotel quarantine, 112 in self-quarantine and two in hospital.

One of the hospital patients is in intensive care.

WA Health is also urging anyone with symptoms in the Wheatbelt region to be tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result, following a report of a case in the area.

The list of exposure sites can be found here.