❓ Hon Martin Aldridge requests a breakdown of COVID-19 quarantine exemptions, applications to return to WA, and the number of declined applications. The Police Force states that collating the requested data is unreasonably onerous due to the complexity and changing nature of the directions.
AnsweredQoN 3125Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to restrictions placed upon entry to Western Australia arising from COVID-19, and I ask : (a) will the Minister please provide a breakdown of the 6,661 people that were exempt from quarantine since 5 April 2020, based upon data held by police ; (b) how many applications have been made by Western Australian residents to return to Western Australia since 5 April 2020 from : (i) international applications ; and (ii) interstate applications; and (c) of those identified in (b), how many were declined from : (i) international applications ; and (ii) interstate applications?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 October 2020
Responded by
Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Police
Response time
12 days
The Western Australian Police Force advise:
(a) As part of its response to protecting the community from COVID-19, the Western Australia Police Force, gave priority to developing processes that allowed the timely processing of applications for entry. The first five months of managing entry to the State has been based on ensuring the systems and processes are in place to assist the Western Australian community. The G2G Pass has been critical to this process and placed Western Australia ahead of other States.
The priority was to keep the community safe and support the State Emergency Coordinator and the police in management of the borders rather than collecting data. Now the State has systems, processes and procedures in place, the Western Australia Police Force is in the process of refining its data collection options rather than relying on time consuming and less reliable manual counting.
Whilst every entry into WA is individually recorded and can be searched, it would be unreasonably onerous to collate the categories of persons who were not required to quarantine since 5 April 2020 and, consequently, it is not possible to extract statistical data as to the categories of persons who were not made subject to 14 days quarantine. This is due to the complexity and changing nature of the Directions and the varied nature of applications to enter WA.
The Quarantine (Closing the Border) Directions which came into effect on 5 April 2020, and have been amended on a number of occasions, provide for certain categories of people who are not required to quarantine upon entry to WA. The complexity of the Directions and approvals is such that all applications are considered on their merits. Quarantine decisions are made based on the individual’s situation and the directions existing at that time.
Travellers seeking to enter WA are encouraged to use G2G Pass or the Western Australian Entry Application form, however this is not a condition of entry. If an individual does not seek approval to enter WA prior to travelling to the State, they will be assessed to determine whether they are an "exempt traveller" within the meaning of the Closing the Border Directions at their point of entry. Regardless of the method by which persons entering WA apply for approval as an exempt traveller, the quarantine requirements for each traveller are assessed and confirmed or varied on arrival.
The categories of persons who are not required to quarantine for 14 days under the Closing the Border Directions currently include:
In accordance with the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Amendment Directions , which came into effect on 7 July 2020, persons and categories of person who previously were not required to quarantine for 14 days may now be made subject to terms and conditions, which may include a quarantine direction, or a modified quarantine direction. A modified quarantine direction accommodates circumstances where, for example, persons are required to quarantine when they are not performing essential work in WA, and the person may be made subject to additional social distancing and hygiene requirements while they are performing that work.
Travellers in this category include:
In accordance with the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Amendment Directions (No 5) , which came into effect on 28 August 2020, persons and categories of person who previously were not required to quarantine for 14 days may now be made subject to terms and conditions, which may include quarantine directions or modified quarantine directions. Travellers in this category include:
In accordance with the Paragraph (5e)(ii) (Flight Crew and Transiting Aircraft Passengers Approval (No. 4) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020, domestic flight crew ordinarily resident in WA who have been in New South Wales or Victoria in the previous 14 days are now subject to a self-quarantine direction for 14 days or for the duration of their layover, whichever period is shorter.
In accordance with the Exempt Traveller (International and Domestic Flight Crew) Approval and Conditions (No. 4) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020:
In accordance with the Approval for Transiting Aircraft Passengers (No 3) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020, international and domestic short-term transiting aircraft passengers (passengers whose next flight departs within 8 hours) are permitted to enter WA without quarantining, provided that they remain at the departure terminal until their next flight, and are subject to social distancing and hygiene requirements during that period of time.
In accordance with the Exempt Traveller (Indian Ocean Territories Traveller) Approval (No 2) , which came into effect on 14 August 2020, persons entering WA from an Indian Ocean Territory and who have not been outside of the Indian Ocean Territories or WA in the 14 days prior to their arrival in WA are not required to quarantine.
In accordance with the Approval for Maritime Crew (No. 3) , which came into effect on 18 August 2020:
In accordance with the Approval for Rig or Platform Crew (No.2) , which came into effect on 18 August 2020:
Recent changes to the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Direction mean that arrivals to Western Australia who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days are allowed to complete self-quarantine, instead of in a hotel, where that is possible. The limited exemption categories for Victorian arrivals continue to apply and they continue to be subject to mandatory COVID-19 tests on arrival and on day 11 of their quarantine.
Also, the additional restrictions which had applied to New South Wales have been lifted. That means that the current conditions that apply to other States and Territories, except Victoria, now apply to New South Wales as well.
Persons who are not given a 14-day quarantine direction and who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days, and persons who are given modified quarantine directions may also be subject to additional terms and conditions, including:
Although certain persons are not subject to 14 days quarantine, they must comply with the COVID-19 presentation for testing requirements as applicable in their circumstances, which are contained in the Presentation for Testing Directions .
(b)-(c) The number of applications made by WA residents is not specifically recorded in a database. The Closing the Border Directions do not distinguish between people who are ordinarily resident in WA and other Australian citizens. Being a WA resident is not a general category of exemption under the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Directions .
(a) As part of its response to protecting the community from COVID-19, the Western Australia Police Force, gave priority to developing processes that allowed the timely processing of applications for entry. The first five months of managing entry to the State has been based on ensuring the systems and processes are in place to assist the Western Australian community. The G2G Pass has been critical to this process and placed Western Australia ahead of other States.
The priority was to keep the community safe and support the State Emergency Coordinator and the police in management of the borders rather than collecting data. Now the State has systems, processes and procedures in place, the Western Australia Police Force is in the process of refining its data collection options rather than relying on time consuming and less reliable manual counting.
Whilst every entry into WA is individually recorded and can be searched, it would be unreasonably onerous to collate the categories of persons who were not required to quarantine since 5 April 2020 and, consequently, it is not possible to extract statistical data as to the categories of persons who were not made subject to 14 days quarantine. This is due to the complexity and changing nature of the Directions and the varied nature of applications to enter WA.
The Quarantine (Closing the Border) Directions which came into effect on 5 April 2020, and have been amended on a number of occasions, provide for certain categories of people who are not required to quarantine upon entry to WA. The complexity of the Directions and approvals is such that all applications are considered on their merits. Quarantine decisions are made based on the individual’s situation and the directions existing at that time.
Travellers seeking to enter WA are encouraged to use G2G Pass or the Western Australian Entry Application form, however this is not a condition of entry. If an individual does not seek approval to enter WA prior to travelling to the State, they will be assessed to determine whether they are an "exempt traveller" within the meaning of the Closing the Border Directions at their point of entry. Regardless of the method by which persons entering WA apply for approval as an exempt traveller, the quarantine requirements for each traveller are assessed and confirmed or varied on arrival.
The categories of persons who are not required to quarantine for 14 days under the Closing the Border Directions currently include:
In accordance with the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Amendment Directions , which came into effect on 7 July 2020, persons and categories of person who previously were not required to quarantine for 14 days may now be made subject to terms and conditions, which may include a quarantine direction, or a modified quarantine direction. A modified quarantine direction accommodates circumstances where, for example, persons are required to quarantine when they are not performing essential work in WA, and the person may be made subject to additional social distancing and hygiene requirements while they are performing that work.
Travellers in this category include:
In accordance with the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Amendment Directions (No 5) , which came into effect on 28 August 2020, persons and categories of person who previously were not required to quarantine for 14 days may now be made subject to terms and conditions, which may include quarantine directions or modified quarantine directions. Travellers in this category include:
In accordance with the Paragraph (5e)(ii) (Flight Crew and Transiting Aircraft Passengers Approval (No. 4) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020, domestic flight crew ordinarily resident in WA who have been in New South Wales or Victoria in the previous 14 days are now subject to a self-quarantine direction for 14 days or for the duration of their layover, whichever period is shorter.
In accordance with the Exempt Traveller (International and Domestic Flight Crew) Approval and Conditions (No. 4) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020:
In accordance with the Approval for Transiting Aircraft Passengers (No 3) , which came into effect on 27 August 2020, international and domestic short-term transiting aircraft passengers (passengers whose next flight departs within 8 hours) are permitted to enter WA without quarantining, provided that they remain at the departure terminal until their next flight, and are subject to social distancing and hygiene requirements during that period of time.
In accordance with the Exempt Traveller (Indian Ocean Territories Traveller) Approval (No 2) , which came into effect on 14 August 2020, persons entering WA from an Indian Ocean Territory and who have not been outside of the Indian Ocean Territories or WA in the 14 days prior to their arrival in WA are not required to quarantine.
In accordance with the Approval for Maritime Crew (No. 3) , which came into effect on 18 August 2020:
In accordance with the Approval for Rig or Platform Crew (No.2) , which came into effect on 18 August 2020:
Recent changes to the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Direction mean that arrivals to Western Australia who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days are allowed to complete self-quarantine, instead of in a hotel, where that is possible. The limited exemption categories for Victorian arrivals continue to apply and they continue to be subject to mandatory COVID-19 tests on arrival and on day 11 of their quarantine.
Also, the additional restrictions which had applied to New South Wales have been lifted. That means that the current conditions that apply to other States and Territories, except Victoria, now apply to New South Wales as well.
Persons who are not given a 14-day quarantine direction and who have been in Victoria in the previous 14 days, and persons who are given modified quarantine directions may also be subject to additional terms and conditions, including:
Although certain persons are not subject to 14 days quarantine, they must comply with the COVID-19 presentation for testing requirements as applicable in their circumstances, which are contained in the Presentation for Testing Directions .
(b)-(c) The number of applications made by WA residents is not specifically recorded in a database. The Closing the Border Directions do not distinguish between people who are ordinarily resident in WA and other Australian citizens. Being a WA resident is not a general category of exemption under the Quarantine (Closing the Border) Directions .
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