West Australia eases rules ahead of expected Omicron wave

West Australians have been told how they will live and work during what the state government considers an inevitable explosion in Omicron cases.

West Australians have been told how they will live and work during an explosion in Omicron cases the McGowan government now considers inevitable, despite the state’s closed border.

WA will abandon its strict isolation regimen for people who have been in the same place at the same time as a person with Covid-19.

For a broad range of workers, including supermarket staff, petrol station attendants and miners, even close contacts of a positive case can continue to come to work provided they do not have symptoms. Rapid antigen tests will be central to the new regimen.

“This policy is not intended to enable the continuation of regular business activities, such as new ­investment or expansion activities, tasks that could be delayed or deferred, or for undertaking discretionary tasks,” Premier Mark McGowan said.

“The definition of critical workers is essential to ensure critical supply chains and services can continue to support Western Australians and our community.”

WA’s biggest company, Wesfarmers, confirmed late on Friday it will move its senior executives to the east coast in frustration at the McGowan government’s backflip on hard borders. Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott said it was now virtually impossible to run a national business from Perth.

WA’s new, relaxed rules for Covid-19 cases and their contacts will come into effect when chief health officer Andy Robertson deems case numbers are high enough to warrant it, Mr Mc­Gowan said.

He was unsure when that would be, though clusters were mushrooming across Perth and the lower half of WA on Friday. There were 141 active cases in WA on Thursday night and many more are expected in coming days. Contact tracers are dealing with mystery cases daily in Perth and the regions.

Mr McGowan said he believed he had bought time with his decision to indefinitely delay the state’s planned reopening on February 5, but “very high case loads” were inevitable anyway.

“Hopefully it is weeks away,” he said on Friday.

Mr McGowan has said the delay in reopening the state was not an attempt to try to keep Omicron out forever, but an attempt to keep it out long enough for many more West Australians to get a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. On Friday, 33.9 per cent of eligible West Australians had received a third dose. Mr McGowan announced the significant shift in the state’s response to Covid-19 after days of pressure from business to nominate a new reopening date for WA.

Under the new rules to begin when case numbers rise further, Mr McGowan has slashed the isolation period from 14 to seven days for those who get Covid-19. For close contacts who do not work in an industry deemed critical, the isolation period will also be seven days.

Education Minister Sue Ellery says WA’s schools will open as planned on Monday. Picture: AAP

Education Minister Sue Ellery said the state’s schools would be open for term one as planned on Monday. Ms Ellery said schools would stay open, even in the event of high case numbers, with measures in place to limit spread.

Teachers and students in Year 7 and above will wear masks in class from Monday. When case numbers rise in WA, students in Year 3 and above will be required to wear masks in schools.

Opposition Leader Mia Davies said Mr McGowan was trying to justify his decision to keep the state’s border shut by inciting fear in continued references to hospitalisations and deaths on the east coast, which he calls “over there” and “over east”.

“We call on the Premier to be open and transparent by releasing the health modelling for Omicron in Western Australia to confirm that his decision is based on scientific data and not simply polling,” Ms Davies said.