‘Fortress WA’ to be hit by MORE restrictions from Mark McGowan – as Dominic Perrottet confirms tourists in NSW won’t need a booster with millions preparing to FINALLY lose masks – here’s the latest
- NSW will loosen Covid restrictions as cases fall and tourists flock back to Aus
- Western Australia meanwhile will introduce new mandates as infections rise
- Premier Dominic Perrottet said boosters not needed to skip hotel quarantine
Dominic Perrottet is set to confirm the loosening of Covid restrictions throughout New South Wales, but those living in Western Australia have been warned by his counterpart Mark McGowan to expect a string of new rules.
The duelling premiers will make sweeping changes to their respective states’ legislation this week, with fully-vaccinated tourists to be arriving back into Australia next week.
Mr Perrottet has confirmed boosters will not be mandated for those looking to enter through NSW and underlined his ambition to revitalise Sydney’s CBD with mask restrictions to be dropped.
But things in Western Australia, where there has never been a major Covid outbreak, things couldn’t be more different as Mr McGowan warned WA residents more restrictions could be implemented as new infections rise.
Western Australia is set to increase Covid restrictions throughout the state as New South Wales ease their rules ahead of welcoming back tourists (pictured, some of the very few arrivals allowed to enter WA)
‘We haven’t actually made a decision on when (further restrictions) will come in, but at some point in time they will come in,’ Mr McGowan said.
There were 68 new cases in the state on Sunday, with the outbreak linked to Juniper Cygnet aged care home jumping to 17 infections.
With the state’s grand February 5 reopening now shelved indefinitely, tourism companies on the west coast will be unable to benefit when the rest of Australia flings open their doors to foreign tourists on February 21.
Tourists who have had two doses of the vaccine but are unboosted will be able to skip hotel quarantine in NSW, Mr Perrottet confirmed on Sunday.
It is the first time there has been public clarification from officials about the designation of travellers and whether there would be enhanced measures around those looking to enter the country.
Mr Perrottet confirmed boosters will not be mandated for those looking to enter through NSW and encouraged Sydneysiders to get back into the office (pictured, New Year’s Eve revellers at Sydney Opera House)
Mr McGowan meanwhile said they will be tightening rules as Omicron cases rise in the state
He also reiterated his ambition to see NSW residents return to the office at the end of the month, but hesitated to bring forward the state’s advice.
‘I want the public servants back to work, in the office,’ he said. ‘I want people to return to the city.’
Mr Perrottet wants to see the emphasis move away from working at home to restoring office structures and re-awakening the capital’s CBD.
Masks must be worn in all indoor public venues including supermarkets, pubs and cafes until February 28.
Meanwhile WA continue to move forward with the world’s strictest Covid laws and provides no timeline for when it will drop its borders to the rest of the country.
Currently WA has an indoor mask mandate and vaccination requirements to enter certain venues, including pubs and restaurants.
The state continues to add to its stockpile of rapid antigen tests but Mr McGowan says PCR testing will remain the preferred method so long as the state has capacity.
‘We haven’t actually made a decision on when (further restrictions) will come in, but at some point in time they will come in,’ Mr McGowan said on Sunday
He says the state’s clinics can handle 35,000 PCR tests daily and is currently only at about 15 to 20 per cent of that.
The state also has 8.8 million RATs in its stockpile, with another 2.4 million expected to arrive within the week.
It is mandatory to report positive rapid antigen tests to state health authorities, which 10 of Sunday’s positive cases had done.
‘We just need to know what the spread of the virus is in the community and we rely upon people doing the right thing in order to inform us of that,’ Mr McGowan said.
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says a new advertising campaign will be launched to educate the public about close contact definitions and isolation requirements as the state prepares for ‘living with the virus’.
‘Our public health and social measures including mask wearing and isolation are doing a good job of keeping case numbers low but we do not expect that this will continue forever. We know that the Omicron variant is highly transmissible,’ Ms Sanderson said.
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