Mark McGowan video goes viral as restriction are formally eased in WA

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has released a highly theatrical video of himself removing a mask to mark the lifting of Covid restrictions in the state.

The premier posted the video on his social media pages soon after restrictions were formally eased in his state at midnight on Sunday – and his followers were quick to praise it.

In the short video – accompanied by the Richard Strauss fanfare made famous by the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey – McGowan can be seen wearing a face mask before slowly removing it, with his intense stare giving way to a grin at the camera. 

In the video – the premier slowly removes his face mask, to signify the lifting of Covid restrictions in WA

‘Absolutely love it. Well done and thanks for the laugh. Thanks also to your leadership, our state is one of the safest places on the earth to live,’ one fan commented.

Another posted: ‘I just love your sense of humour! Thank you to our very own rock star Premier! 

A third said ‘Brilliant! Thanks yet again you and your wonderful Health Advisor (Doctor Andrew Robertson) have kept this horrid disease from spreading through our people due to the rapid response.’

At midnight, WA snapped back to phase five restrictions with masks no longer mandatory indoors and no caps on capacity or crowd limits.

There are also no limits on hospital or aged care visits and dance floors, major events and standing crowds at live performances are now permitted.

On June 28, close to two million people in the state were forced into a four-day lockdown after a physiotherapist unknowingly brought the virus from NSW to WA with her, which resulted in a outbreak that infected a number of others.

Last week, McGowan threatened to make the hard border with NSW permanent if the state doesn’t beat the current Covid outbreak.

‘Until we have high levels of vaccination we should not support a model whereby the virus is permanently allowed to spread,’ he said. 

‘NSW needs to do what Victoria did last year and crush and kill the virus.

‘Any alternative approach which allows the virus to spread would imperil the whole country before such time as we have achieved mass vaccination.’ 

The WA premier also advocated his strategy of early snap lockdowns, which has twice led to most of his state being under stay-at-home orders with just one case.

Residents in WA saw Covid restrictions eased on Sunday at midnight (pictured, members of the public wearing face masks during lockdown in June)

Masks are no longer mandatory indoors in WA and there are no caps on capacity or crowd limits after restrictions were eased on Sunday (pictured, members of the public with groceries during the June lockdown)

‘Our experience is that quick responses to eliminate the virus has worked well in WA,’ he said.

‘Our short, sharp lockdown and our efforts to swiftly crush the virus have put us in a position where we expect to return to pre-lockdown life.’

On Tuesday, the outbreak in NSW grew by another 89 local cases as authorities confirmed a man in his 70s has died with the virus.

There are are still 21 patients in the state’s intensive care unit across the state.