Coronavirus: States restore freedoms as case numbers drop

WA appears likely to significantly ease restrictions this weekend after an expanded coronavirus testing regime detected no new cases for seven days.

WA Premier Mark McGowan at Rockingham Beach on Sunday. Picture: Colin Murty

Western Australia appears likely to significantly ease restrictions this weekend after an expanded coronavirus testing regime detected no new cases for seven days in a row.

WA has been preparing to allow cafes and restaurants to reopen in some form by training hospitality workers in COVID-safe hygiene practices.

At the end of a week of no new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, there were just 14 people in the state who still had the virus. The number of tests carried out since the pandemic began was close to 50,000 and another 30,000 tests will be done on schoolchildren, teachers and mine workers with and without symptoms. This is an effort to determine if there is undetected community spread.

“We will continue to take a cautious and considered response to protect West Australians and get our economy going again,” Premier Mark McGowan said.

“We expect Western Australia will be in a position to release a West Australian road map as early as this weekend.”

Mr McGowan has already eased restrictions on the housing industry to allow open homes and village home displays. On April 27, the number of people permitted to gather for non-work recreation was lifted from two to 10.

There have been calls from businesses in regional WA for the state to consider cancelling intrastate travel bans that confine West Australians to one of nine regions. In towns where there are either no more cases of COVID-19 or where there have never been any detected, the McGowan government is under pressure to allow locals to go to their pub or out for dinner.

“I want to stress that whilst Western Australia has responded strongly to the COVID-19 threat, we are not out of the woods yet,” Mr McGowan said.

“We will only make changes where it is safe to do so.”

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall revealed on Wednesday his government intended to lift some restrictions from Monday. There were just five active cases of COVID-19 in SA on Wednesday and the state government’s priorities reportedly included lifting regional travel bans, allowing social sport and restarting the state AFL competition.

Two Australian jurisdictions have decided to again allow people to eat in restaurants. On Monday, Norfolk Island allowed this and from Friday eateries on Cocos and Christmas islands will no longer be restricted to takeaway orders.