❓ Mr Price asks the Premier about the health advice underpinning the continued closure of WA's border and the conditions for reopening. The Premier responds by emphasizing reliance on the Chief Health Officer's advice, citing low infection rates and ongoing outbreaks in other states as justification for maintaining border restrictions.
AnsweredQoN 338Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
338. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the government's
decision to keep WA's border with the east closed as it continues to
successfully contain the spread of COVID-19. Can the Premier outline to the
house the health advice as to why the state border needs to remain closed and
what will need to happen before consideration can be given to reopening
interstate travel?
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
338. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the government's
decision to keep WA's border with the east closed as it continues to
successfully contain the spread of COVID-19. Can the Premier outline to the
house the health advice as to why the state border needs to remain closed and
what will need to happen before consideration can be given to reopening
interstate travel?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield
for the question. Throughout the pandemic over the last three months, we have
been guided by the advice of Western Australia's Chief Health Officer,
Dr Andrew Robertson, and that has not changed. I meet or speak with Dr Robertson
every single day, as does the Minister for Health. The health advice that we
have received has been outstanding, and as a consequence the state has been a beneficiary,
with very low levels of infection. The
advice from the Chief Health Officer—he has been very aware of the
impact on things across the state—has been based on long
historical experience of dealing with pandemics around the world, with historic
examples going back many years.
As I said, as a state and as a people,
we have been highly effective in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak in Western Australia.
The border arrangements have not only reduced the number of cases of COVID-19
coming from interstate, but they have also helped drive down the rate of the
spread of the virus in Western Australia. We have three active cases in Western
Australia, all directly related to travellers to the state. In other states—in
particular, New South Wales and Victoria—we are seeing continued
COVID-19 outbreaks. There have been about 83 new reported cases in those states
in the last seven days. Although we have had very few, if not any, in the last
week, New South Wales and Victoria have identified 83 new cases and have
obviously seen various areas of community spread. I was advised today that one
case was a traveller from Melbourne to Sydney.
We are very keen to ensure that we
do not allow the spread of the virus, both from interstate and overseas, into Western
Australia. We have accepted the advice of Dr Andy Robertson during this
pandemic. His advice was published
yesterday. That advice was very clear: the interstate border is an important
weapon in Western Australia's arsenal to protect our people from
potential infection from New South Wales and Victoria. Other states have done something similar, particularly Queensland, South
Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. I think it has been relatively effective in all those jurisdictions as
well, certainly in the case of South Australia and the Northern Territory .
The western two-thirds of Australia have had better outcomes than other parts
of the country.
Four days ago, we announced a range
of relaxation measures, which were more generous and comprehensive than what
other states had put in place, and we also started lifting our internal borders
within Western Australia. We have not lifted all of them as yet, even though I know
it is difficult for many people across the regions. When we have the confidence that it is the time to do it,
that is when we will do it. I do not think that will be too far away. Just a moment ago, I read the advice of the Chief Health Officer. I know that many
people, like the opposition leader, have been calling for the lifting of the
interstate border. We are not going to do that at this point. When we think the
time is right and there are low levels of spread or no community spread in the
eastern states, that is the time to lift the interstate border restrictions,
and we will not be doing it before then.
for the question. Throughout the pandemic over the last three months, we have
been guided by the advice of Western Australia's Chief Health Officer,
Dr Andrew Robertson, and that has not changed. I meet or speak with Dr Robertson
every single day, as does the Minister for Health. The health advice that we
have received has been outstanding, and as a consequence the state has been a beneficiary,
with very low levels of infection. The
advice from the Chief Health Officer—he has been very aware of the
impact on things across the state—has been based on long
historical experience of dealing with pandemics around the world, with historic
examples going back many years.
As I said, as a state and as a people,
we have been highly effective in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak in Western Australia.
The border arrangements have not only reduced the number of cases of COVID-19
coming from interstate, but they have also helped drive down the rate of the
spread of the virus in Western Australia. We have three active cases in Western
Australia, all directly related to travellers to the state. In other states—in
particular, New South Wales and Victoria—we are seeing continued
COVID-19 outbreaks. There have been about 83 new reported cases in those states
in the last seven days. Although we have had very few, if not any, in the last
week, New South Wales and Victoria have identified 83 new cases and have
obviously seen various areas of community spread. I was advised today that one
case was a traveller from Melbourne to Sydney.
We are very keen to ensure that we
do not allow the spread of the virus, both from interstate and overseas, into Western
Australia. We have accepted the advice of Dr Andy Robertson during this
pandemic. His advice was published
yesterday. That advice was very clear: the interstate border is an important
weapon in Western Australia's arsenal to protect our people from
potential infection from New South Wales and Victoria. Other states have done something similar, particularly Queensland, South
Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania. I think it has been relatively effective in all those jurisdictions as
well, certainly in the case of South Australia and the Northern Territory .
The western two-thirds of Australia have had better outcomes than other parts
of the country.
Four days ago, we announced a range
of relaxation measures, which were more generous and comprehensive than what
other states had put in place, and we also started lifting our internal borders
within Western Australia. We have not lifted all of them as yet, even though I know
it is difficult for many people across the regions. When we have the confidence that it is the time to do it,
that is when we will do it. I do not think that will be too far away. Just a moment ago, I read the advice of the Chief Health Officer. I know that many
people, like the opposition leader, have been calling for the lifting of the
interstate border. We are not going to do that at this point. When we think the
time is right and there are low levels of spread or no community spread in the
eastern states, that is the time to lift the interstate border restrictions,
and we will not be doing it before then.
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