Following the latest public health advice, Western Australia's controlled interstate border will be safely adjusted from Monday, January 18 with travel from Victoria permitted into WA subject to the following strict conditions:
- complete a G2G Pass declaration, stipulating they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, which jurisdictions the traveller has been in over the previous 14 days and if they have knowingly mixed with someone from New South Wales or Queensland;
- self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable premise;
- present for a COVID-19 test on day 11;
- all Perth Airport arrivals to undergo a health screening and temperature test on arrival;
- be prepared to take a COVID-19 test at the airport COVID clinic, if deemed necessary by a health clinician (voluntary asymptomatic testing available for all airport arrivals); and
- land arrivals to be met at the border checkpoint, for a health screening and to have their G2G Pass declaration checked before proceeding to self-quarantine premise.
Anyone coming from Victoria that has been in or travelled through a medium-risk jurisdiction in the past 14 days will not be able to enter WA without an exemption.
Under WA's expert health advice, a jurisdiction requires at least 28 days of no community cases until consideration can be given to reclassify them as 'very low risk'.
Jurisdictions considered 'very low risk' and are permitted to enter WA without COVID-19 testing or self-quarantine requirements currently include the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania.
Jurisdictions considered 'medium risk' are not permitted to enter WA without an exemption and include only New South Wales and Queensland, when Victoria moves to 'low risk'.
The WA Chief Health Officer will continue to monitor and review border controls, including Queensland and New South Wales, to determine if any further adjustments can be made in the future.
WA's border arrangements are enacted under the Emergency Management Act and failure to follow these directions will be enforceable by law, with penalties ranging from $1,000 infringements to up to $50,000 fines for individuals.
More information on WA's controlled borders is available at http://www.wa.gov.au
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"The re-introduction of a hard border with Victoria was necessary to protect Western Australians and minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the WA community.
"It shows that with a controlled border, we can make adjustments swiftly to keep WA safe.
"I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding throughout this process, and for helping keep WA safe.
"Classifying Victoria as 'low risk' allows for safe travel under our controlled border, with the important requirement of 14 days of self-quarantine and a COVID-19 test.
"The variant strain has added an extra layer of complexity with how rapidly the virus can spread, so WA's extra cautious approach is necessary.
"Everyone in the community has a responsibility to be vigilant and ensure we can stay protected from this deadly virus - this means heeding the COVID safe principles and taking precautionary measures on all fronts, be it face masks when flying and at airports, and checking-in using SafeWA when you're out."
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"This safe and cautious adjustment for Victoria has been recommended by the Chief Health Officer on the latest public health advice.
"This cautious but sensible approach under our controlled border, gives Western Australia the protection we need to minimise the risk of COVID-19 entering the WA community.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and once Victoria reaches 28 days of no community transmission we can then consider the next step under our controlled border."
