McGowan to stay in seven-day quarantine even when WA reopens

19 Feb 2022

Sky News Australia

McGowan to stay in sevenday quarantine even when WA reopens

Premier Mark McGowan says he will stay in quarantine for one whole week when he returns from Sydney – despite pulling down the hard border from March 3 – to prove his decision to reopen to the rest of Australia wasn’t made to “benefit” himself.

Premier Mark McGowan has committed to completing one week in quarantine - even when the hard border is lifted in the middle of his stay - to shutdown suggestions his decision to reopen Western Australia was made for his own "benefit".

The Western Australian Premier on Friday afternoon confirmed the border restrictions would be eased in just under two weeks, allowing triple vaccinated travellers to enter the state without the need to self-isolate.

Mr McGowan's announcement came ahead of his trip to the Harbour City for a defamation lawsuit launched by Queensland billionaire Clive Palmer from February 26 to 28.

He is expected return to the west coast just days before the hard border is finally removed, but instead of leaving his quarantine on March 3 as permitted, Mr McGowan has vowed to stay put for seven full days to set an “example” and “do the right thing” by Western Australians.

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“It is a coincidence that when I return the border will come down a couple of days later,” he said.

“I will be doing seven days of quarantine.

“I will be in a hotel room, working from there, doing a full seven days and just so there can be no argument that somehow, by anyone, that somehow this was put in place to benefit myself.

“I am trying to do the right thing by the state and I'm just trying to set the right example.”

Under the current border arrangements, eligible travellers into Western Australia are required to quarantine for seven days.

From March 3, triple vaccinated domestic arrivals will be able to ditch self-isolation permitting they complete a G2G pass prior to entry into the state and take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival.

The Premier’s decision comes a month after he delayed the border reopening - which was scheduled for February 5 - saying it is now “far safer” to allow travellers into the state.

“It is plain to see that four weeks of caution has paid dividends it means it is far safer to relax our hard border settings,” he said.

Coronavirus cases in Western Australia have rapidly increased to record numbers in recent days, with 194 local infections on Friday, 177 on Thursday, 115 on Wednesday and 48 on Tuesday.

Mr McGowan said the current outbreak meant the hard border had become redundant.

“We also have an outbreak in WA that we can’t stop and its numbers continue to climb,” he said.

“Eventually there comes a point where the border is ineffective when you get to high cases numbers within the state.”