WA Covid-19 pregnancy rules ‘make no sense’
There are also concerns that contradictions in the WA’s COVID restrictions could undermine public confidence and compliance
COVID-19 restrictions limiting West Australian women to a single support person when giving birth have been labelled “heartless and nonsensical” and could undermine compliance with other safety measures.
WA opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam said the limits on birth support people — introduced when the government announced a three-day lockdown after a COVID-19 breach at a quarantine hotel late last month — were unfair and inconsistent.
The rules have meant would-be mothers have had to choose between having their partner or a doula or other family member with them when giving birth.
Ms Mettam said some mothers had told her they had not been able to have any support people with them if they were not in active labour, meaning they were experiencing inductions and, in some cases, miscarriages alone.
The restrictions, she said, were also in sharp contrast to other rules introduced at the same time.
“It makes absolutely no sense that we can allow 100 people at a wedding or 20 people at gatherings, yet impose such stringent restrictions on these women.”
Perth obstetrician Michael Gannon, a former national president of the Australian Medical Association, said limiting women to one support person as a means of delivering infection control was “probably the right thing to do”.
But he said he had become increasingly concerned about apparent contradictions in the state’s restrictions undermining public confidence in the system.
He said it was difficult to explain why basketball and rugby matches were allowed to go ahead before the recent lockdown was called, and why weddings were allowed to go ahead with up to 100 guests, when elective surgeries were cancelled and birth partner numbers limited.
The WA government is expected to announce on Thursday whether the remaining restrictions introduced at last month’s lockdown will be extended or wound back from Saturday.
State Health Minister Roger Cook defended the birth restrictions, saying they were based on “the best possible public health advice”.
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