Home Travel News

Western Australia to 'temporarily' demand NSW arrivals prove jab status

As of Tuesday, 17 August, Western Australia will demand that any arrivals from New South Wales prove they have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine under tough new arrangements.

As of Tuesday, 17 August, Western Australia will demand that any arrivals from New South Wales 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 17 August when NSW will move to a beefed-up “high risk” category under WA’s controlled border regime.

“Given what is happening in NSW, there’s no sign of the situation improving over coming weeks,” Mr McGowan told reporters.

“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.”

Scott Morrison backed the arrangements after Friday’s national cabinet meeting.

“That is not unlike the sorts of things we have been talking about for some time, where people are vaccinated, and an exemption is being granted, but the vaccination aids that exemption being given on public health grounds,” the prime minister said.

“I think that is very consistent with what the national plan is seeking to achieve, and as I said last week, all premiers and chief ministers strongly committed and agreed to the national plan.”

What happens once the nationwide 80% target vaccination rollout has been achieved?

Whale shark and swimmer TOurism Western Australia
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Importantly, the PM warned that such measures should not be maintained once most Australians had been vaccinated.

“It’s a decision for now because borders exist now,” he said.

“But in the future, the whole point of getting to 70 per cent and 80 per cent is to say, ultimately, goodbye to those arrangements as well.”

However, Mr McGowan said he wouldn’t rule out keeping vaccine passports beyond that point if there were outbreaks in other states.

He said the tough new rules offered a template for other states to replicate.

“The legal advice is very clear that, based upon the advice of the chief health officer, this is entirely lawful,” he added.

NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are already subject to a hard border, denying entry to most travellers.

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.

Queensland to only accept vaccinated essential workers

QLD-Border
QLD-Border

Queensland is also about to start locking out essential workers from NSW unless they can prove they’ve had at least one vaccine shot.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has vowed to do everything in her power to avoid importing new cases from NSW and says cross-border movements must be kept to an absolute minimum.

Essential workers who live south of the border but work in Queensland have until Friday to get their first shot.

If they don’t, they’ll be locked out even if they hold exemptions due to the nature of their work.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young says most such workers, such as emergency services and health staff, would already have had at least one jab.

But anyone who hasn’t will be given priority access at vaccination centres along the border.

Authorities are working to increase vaccination rates in Queensland’s border communities.

Some are already doing well with more than half of their residents protected by a first dose, but Dr Young wants that up around 70 to 80 per cent as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the premier has signed a memorandum of understanding allowing the federal government to construct a new 1000-bed international quarantine facility at Pinkenba, near Brisbane Airport.

But it won’t be open until the middle of next year, well beyond the point when Queensland and other states hope to have achieved 70-80 per cent vaccination, the benchmark set for a return to a relatively normal life free of lockdowns.

Despite that Queensland still wants a second such facility, in a regional centre with the premier saying two such sites would mean an end to hotel quarantine, which has spawned many outbreaks in Queensland and other states.

Via AAP