The McGowan Government has stepped up its assistance to the Commonwealth Government with its mission to evacuate people from Afghanistan.
Western Australia is assisting this effort by providing quarantine accommodation in the State's managed quarantine hotels - over the existing international flight cap.
It is expected evacuees will include Australian customs and immigration personnel, consular and foreign service officers, as well as Afghan interpreters and contractors who assisted Australian Defence Force troops.
Staff and contractors at State-managed quarantine hotels are already familiar with COVID-19 precautions, and the transfer of the evacuees from the airport to hotel will be managed by local authorities such as WA Police including a dedicated team overseen by the Department of Health.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"Western Australia is pleased to offer its assistance to the Commonwealth Government in the evacuation of these people.
"I want to thank the local teams of workers and officers who will be managing this operation safely.
"The safe return of people who have been undertaking service for our country is paramount given the current circumstances in Afghanistan.
"Western Australia's experience of safely managing the risk of COVID-19 speaks for itself, and when faced with the current situation on the east coast, it makes sense that we offer our assistance by providing quarantine facilities."
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"This is a humanitarian response and, as a State, we are best placed to assist.
"The risk of COVID-19 is real, and as a State we continue to take every precaution to protect our community. We have tried and tested systems and processes in place to manage the transfer of international travellers' safety to hotel quarantine."
