The Australian state that may NEVER reopen its borders because its coronavirus targets are ‘unreasonably stringent’
- Western Australia stands firm on refusal to reopen border to rest of Australia
- Says states and territories must record no community transmissions for 28 days
- Health expert warned the state’s ‘admirable’ benchmark may never be reached
- State’s chief health officer says hard border vital to managing coronavirus threat
Western Australia may never reopen its hard borders to the rest of the country unless its ‘unreasonably stringent’ are relaxed, an expert epidemiologist has warned.
Premier Mark McGowan has refused to reopen the borders until all other states and territories record zero community transmissions for 28 consecutive days.
His strict stance was reiterated by the state’s chief health officer Andy Robertson this week, who argued the hard border are crucial to managing the coronavirus threat in WA.
But University of NSW Professor World Health Organisation adviser Mary-Louise McLaws has warned WA’s benchmark may never be reached.
WA slammed its borders shut to the rest of the country six months ago and is yet to reopen them. Pictured are police stopping drivers at a checkpoint 110km south of Perth
‘I think that the 28 days is beyond caution,’ Professor McLaws told the ABC.
‘It’s admirable, but it’s looking for total eradication, or close to (it). And I don’t think we can get to that.’
She believes a two-week rolling average of fewer than five cases in all states and territories is more realistic.
It’s been six months since WA slammed its borders shut to the rest of the country for the first time time ever on April 2.
Mr McGowan was the only state or territory leader to not commit to reopening borders before Christmas at a recent National Cabinet meeting.
The state government website says Western Australian borders will only be reopened ‘when it is appropriate to do so’, based on health advice for WA.
‘It is assessed and considered regularly,’ the website adds.
Western Australia’s border won’t be opened up until all other states and territories record zero community transmissions for 28 consecutive days. Pictured is a deserted Perth Airport
Dr Robertson says the state is continuing to monitor the situation as it evolves.
‘If you look at the modelling, we are now probably one of the most susceptible states if an infection were to get in here,’ he told the ABC.
WA health authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak of 17 cases on the Patricia Oldendorff cargo ship anchored off Port Headland on the north-west coast.
No new cases were reported on Wednesday, but nine people remain on the ship as essential crew, seven of whom have tested positive.
There are also 12 crew members in quarantine at the fenced-off Hedland Hotel, where all but two of them have tested positive.
The state government website says Western Australian borders will only be reopened ‘when it is appropriate to do so’. Pictured is the the state’s capital city of Perth
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has slammed states with strict border restrictions, claiming they’re ‘are living in a false sense of security’.
‘They are welcoming people from other states,’ Ms Berejiklian told Sunrise on Wednesday.
‘We have said if you want to keep the economy going, get rid of the borders, allow people to move freely, get the tourism industry going and of course, we can look at the opportunities into allowing more people into hospitality venues but we need to make sure we are ready for that.’
NSW has recorded its sixth consecutive day of zero community transmissions as Queensland opened its border to 152,000 NSW far north coast residents on Thursday, just in time for the public holiday weekend and second week of the school holidays.
The only two new cases recorded in NSW on Thursday were travellers in hotel quarantine,
Virus-riddled Victoria’s two-week rolling average has fallen to 15.6, despite 15 more cases on Thursday.
WA chief health officer Andy Robertson says the hard border is crucial to managing the coronavirus threat. Pictured is Perth’s Elizabeth Quay Bridge lit up in red on Wednesday night