No jab, no ENTRY: Western Australia will demand arrivals from NSW prove they’ve been jabbed before they’re allowed into state
- WA will demand all visitors from NSW have had jab before entering the state
- Premier Mark McGowan said measures were ‘tough, but necessary for the state’
- On Friday, NSW reported 390 new locally-acquired Covid cases and two deaths
Western Australia will demand arrivals from NSW prove they have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine under tough new arrangements.
Travellers must also provide proof of a negative PCR test in the 72 hours prior to departure, Premier Mark McGowan announced on Friday.
The measures will come into effect from Tuesday when NSW will move to a beefed-up ‘high risk’ category under WA’s controlled border regime.
It comes as NSW on Friday reported 390 new locally-acquired cases and a further two deaths.
‘Given what is happening in NSW, there’s no sign of the situation improving over coming weeks,’ Mr McGowan told reporters.
Western Australia will demand arrivals from NSW prove they have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine under tough new arrangements (pictured, WA premier Mark McGowan)
‘These are tough measures but they are necessary to protect the state.
‘The situation in NSW is very serious and our hard border arrangements must reflect that and reduce the risk to Western Australians.’
NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are already subject to a hard border, denying entry to the vast majority of travellers.
Mr McGowan said 61 approved travellers had arrived in Perth from NSW over the past two days and another 43 were due to arrive on Friday.
Compassionate exemptions will be adjusted to ensure West Australians in NSW are able to return home subject to getting vaccinated and tested.
The ACT will also be subject to a hard border from midnight on Friday after an outbreak forced the nation’s capital into a seven-day lockdown.
But SA will enter the low-risk category, expanding eligibility to more travellers. They will still be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
WA will also introduce an ‘extreme risk’ category, restricting entry to Commonwealth, state and specialist officials and forcing them to enter hotel quarantine for 14 days.
The trigger point for jurisdictions to enter that category will be an average of more than 500 community cases per day.
States and territories will enter the high-risk category when they record an average of more than 50 daily community cases.
WA recorded no new cases overnight. The state is monitoring four active cases.
Mr McGowan said the Darya Krishna cargo ship was expected to leave Fremantle on Tuesday, with most crew members having recovered from their infections.
One man remains in intensive care at Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital.
Travellers to WA from NSW must also provide proof of a negative PCR test in the 72 hours prior to departure, Premier Mark McGowan announced on Friday (pictured, a year 12 student receiving her Pfizer vaccination in Sydney’s west)
The measures will come into effect from August 17 when NSW will move to a beefed-up ‘high risk’ category under WA’s controlled border regime (pictured a virtually deserted Strathfield train station in Sydney’s inner-west)