WA will have a “controlled interstate border” from Saturday November 14, so long as nothing changes with the covid-19 situation between now and then.

The Chief Health Officer recommended the softening of the hard border to allow travellers coming in from every state, except Victoria and New South Wales, to go about their business without having to isolate for two weeks.

The mandatory two week quarantine still applies for people arriving Victoria or New South Wales.

These are the conditions for the new controlled border:

Travellers from all States and Territories that are deemed ‘very low risk’ – no community cases in 28-days – will be permitted to enter WA and comply with the following conditions:

• All Perth Airport arrivals to undergo a health screening and temperature test on arrival
• Being 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)
• Complete a G2G Pass declaration on arrival, stipulating they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and which jurisdictions the traveller has been in over the previous 14-days
• All travellers to receive a SMS health check reminder one week into their stay in WA
• Land arrivals to be met at the border checkpoint, for a health screening and to have their G2G Pass declaration checked.

These jurisdictions currently include Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.

Travellers from States and Territories that are deemed ‘low risk’ – less than five community cases per day on a 14-day rolling average – will be permitted to enter WA and comply with similar conditions as ‘very low risk’ jurisdictions, however they will also be required 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)
• Self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable approved premise
• Present for a COVID-19 test on day 11

These jurisdictions currently include New South Wales and Victoria.

This means the current exemption lists will no longer apply after November 14.

Travellers who transit via a “low risk” states (ie NSW & Victoria), will still be required to quarantine for 14-days. For example flying from Tasmania via Melbourne.

Premier Mark McGowan told Oliver Peterson the biggest threat are Australians returning home from overseas.

“They are the biggest risk factor here for the spread of the virus into the country.

“I urge the Commonwealth to be very careful about opening up to other countries around the world.

“We reserve the right to reinstate the hard border or even harder border than currently in place if the Commonwealth decides to open to other countries.”

From tomorrow exempt New Zealand travellers arriving via other Australian cities, as per the new controlled border regime, will be directed to self-quarantine for 14-days at a suitable premise and be required to present for a COVID-19 test on day 11 of their arrival in WA.

Premier McGowan confirmed the the state will continue to fight Clive Palmer in the High Court over the hard border.

“A controlled border is still a border, so we will continue to defend it and we’ll continue to defend the hard border opportunities for states into the future.”

Listen to the full interview here: