Coronavirus: Western Australia to maintain restrictions until next year, as other states reopen
- Western Australia, which has remained largely free of Covid-19, is holding out on reopening, setting a 90 per cent vaccination target
- Meanwhile, Victoria state removed entry restrictions to citizens of neighbouring New South Wales, allowing travel ahead of Christmas period
Western Australia is the largest state, covering a third of Australia’s land area. It also has the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, in part because the state has had few infections and life has been relatively normal throughout the pandemic.
It is the only Australian state or territory that does not intend to reopen this year. Vaccinated Australians have been free to travel the world through east coast airports in coronavirus-affected Sydney and Melbourne since Monday when a 20-month-old international travel ban was lifted.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan on Friday set a vaccination target of 90 per cent of the population aged 12 and older for the border restrictions to be relaxed. The milestone was forecast to be reached in late January or early February.
McGowan said he would set a date for the state to reopen once 80 per cent of the target population had been vaccinated, which is expected to happen in mid-December.
Once that reopening date was set, it would stand even if the vaccination rate fell short of 90 per cent by then.
“As far as world standards go, a rate of 90 per cent will be an amazing achievement,” McGowan said. “Given our current vaccination rates, these targets are realistic and within our sights.”