World

Mark McGowan will finally open Western Australia to the rest of the country – Henry’s Club

January 20, 2022
Bharat Times English News

Western AustraliaWith the reopening date of February 5 more than two weeks away, officials still haven’t laid out rules for the imminent influx of visitors.

The state has remained closed to the rest of the country for the majority of the pandemic, but with vaccination rates approaching 90 percent, Premier Mark McGowan is moving forward with the roadmap.

While serious workers are in the dark about the plan to deal with the expected rise in Covid cases, health workers and school teachers have sought an explanation from the state government.

The state has reported five new local COVID cases which is an indication that the virus is spreading across the border again.

Four cases are of close contacts, two of whom were in quarantine, while others were potentially contagious in the community.

The source of the final infection is unknown.

Western Australia: what we know about reopening rules

  • The National Cabinet has agreed to define a ‘close contact’ as one who has spent four or more hours with a positive case in a home-like setting. Mr McGowan has indicated that Western Australia will follow this definition
  • The isolation period in WA is 14 days, but eastern states have reduced that period to seven days, which is even shorter for critical workers. It is not known whether Mr McGowan will shorten the time of the separation
  • Rapid antigen testing is expected to become more common for critical workers, including healthcare, teachers and supply chains, as is the case in eastern states.
  • Pharmacies and chemists have extra time to stock RATs but shortages in Australia could mean lower numbers
  • The extent of density at places remains a mystery
  • Caps are also unknown for private events, including weddings.
  • Seeking answers on school rules when positive cases come between staff and students
  • Wearing a mask will be required in some high-risk indoor settings, including: on public transportation, taxis or ride share services; at airports and on flights; and by visitors to hospitals, residential aged care, disability care or custodial correction facilities
  • Proof of vaccination will be required for people 16 and older: 1,000 or more patrons, nightclubs, Crown Complex, and four major stadiums (Optus Stadium, RAC Arena, HBF Stadium – Main Arena and HBF Park) or events Those places.
  • Other businesses may also choose to have proof of vaccination requirements as a condition of entry to protect their employees and patrons.
  • Businesses should consider their individual circumstances and seek their own legal advice before adopting proof of vaccination requirement
  • Contact registration will be required, including the use of SafeWA in all public places, and will expand to include taxi and rideshare services
  • To keep patrons and staff safe, revised COVID safety plans, program plans and checklists must be followed. These are currently being updated and will be available soon
  • Public health and social measures may be increased or decreased based on updated health advice or hospitalization rates

WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said at a news conference on Wednesday that the hospital would be notified “this week” of the isolation period and plans for close contacts beyond February 5.

However, he acknowledged that the rules have yet to be confirmed for the wider public.

“I want the information to be given this week, and of course this week the information will be given to health workers,” Ms Sanderson said.

‘Broader industry requirements are also being worked out and will be communicated.’

Several events scheduled for February 5 have already been cancelled, including the Perth Festival and City to Surf.

Businesses are asking employees to work from home, with the capital’s CBD a relative ghost town.


Western Australia’s February 5 reopening date is more than two weeks away, with authorities still mandating an imminent influx of visitors

Ms Sanderson said the government was going over plans for WA residents, but acknowledged she would not know how to handle Omicron until the state reopens.

Ms Sanderson said: ‘What we want to do is plan for the last thing we can do.

‘I fully understand that there is some concern and concern in the community, especially the health workforce, about what is going to happen (like) if and when the boom comes.

For example we (in Australia) need more time for omicrons to be present before we can essentially determine the mortality rate.

‘We are not going to rely on modeling to make these decisions at this time.’

Admission to WA after February 5th

Double-dose vaccination international arrivals will require:

  • While double-dose international arrivals will not need to be quarantined and are not subject to arrival limits, non-vaccinated international arrivals will need to be quarantined in a designated hotel or future quarantine facility for 14 days.
  • All international travel into WA remains subject to the Commonwealth’s biosecurity and border settings – as this is the responsibility of the Commonwealth government.
  • All domestic arrivals who are 12 years of age and older should be vaccinated with a double dose, unless ineligible or medically exempt.
  • All domestic travelers arriving in WA will need a G2G pass.

Testing requirements for domestic arrivals fall into three categories:

  • Interstate arrival in WA or WA passengers and returning passengers on a journey of six days or more from travel to WA will need to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure, and a negative PCR test within 48 hours of arrival . ,
  • Interstate arrivals in WA for five days or less will require a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure, but no test is required upon arrival in WA.
  • WA travelers who return to WA within 5 days or less do not require testing prior to their return to the state, but will need a PCR test within 48 hours of their return.

Ms Sanderson said the Mr McGowan (pictured) government was going over plans for WA residents, but admitted they would not know how to handle Omicron until the state reopens

Mark McGowan’s Safe Infection Plan, released in November, is composed of a more severe Delta strain and largely irrelevant to the more mild but infectious Omicron version.

The state’s shadow health minister says the government has enough time to plan to rejoin the rest of Australia.

Libby Mettum said, “It’s been two years since the McGowan government prepared for this day and it is completely unacceptable that with the imminent opening of the state border, our health workers, business community and students have absolutely no idea that What will happen. Important.”

Mr McGowan fired another shot at his eastern counterpart saying he had thrown new South Wales‘ Invoices $5 million for hotel quarantine in the bin.

Smells of Prime Dominic Perot Western Australia The latest bill, to repatriate residents from the closed state, totals up to $16.4 million through mid-2020.

That figure would mean NSW has helped bring home about 5,500 West Australians based on a $3,000 individual hotel quarantine fee.

Mr McGowan said the bill was ‘ridiculous’ and it was the responsibility of every state to help bring Australians home from overseas, despite offering far fewer places than NSW, Victoria and Australia. queensland,

The WA Premier said, ‘On behalf of every Western Australian, the invoice has been treated exactly as it should – it’s up in a ball in the bottom of my bin.

Premier Dominic Perot sent Western Australia the latest $5 million bill for hotel quarantine for residents returning from the state, taking the total outstanding since mid-2020 to $16.4 million.

There were 11,670 arrivals in NSW in June 2020 compared to 1,760 in Western Australia.

Returning to Australia in December of the same year, NSW welcomed 16,410 while WA allowed in 4,580.

Last month, NSW brought home 40,610 Australians, while Western Australia only allowed in 7,220.

Mr McGowan said the bill was ‘arrogant’ and ‘unAustralian’ because despite NSW providing Australia with a gateway to the world, each state must share responsibility.

“It is the responsibility of all of us to look after the return of Australians and Western Australia has done more than our fair share of the heavy lifting per capita, so it is wrong for NSW to demand millions of payments from each Western Australian,” he said. They said.

The labor leader said the payment was a ‘punishment’ for his state, which was doing ‘such a good job’ of managing Covid, cutting itself off from the rest of the country for the better part of two years.

Mr McGowan said the bill was ‘arrogant’ and ‘Australian’ because each state must share the responsibility of bringing residents home

‘First they came for our fair share of GST. Now they want millions more. When will this be enough?’ They said.

‘By doing the right thing, Western Australians crushed and killed any virus outbreaks.

By doing this we are single-handedly moving the rest of the country, including NSW.

‘Western Australians should not be penalized for doing such a good job of managing the pandemic, especially by a state that has not only mismanaged the virus, but in doing so has caused other outbreaks across the country. Including WA here.’