CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS — TRANSITION PLAN
1166. Hon WILSON TUCKER to the minister representing the
Minister for Health:
I refer to the safe transition plan
announced on 13 December.
(1) Is the 5 February
transition date contingent on a statewide 90 per cent vaccination rate?
(2) If yes to
(1), will the transition date be revised if projections for a 90 per cent
vaccination rate change?
(3) What is the
currently projected date by which the regions of Pilbara, Kimberley and
goldfields will achieve an 80 per cent vaccination rate?
(4) Will
lockdowns continue to be a method of COVID control as part of the safe
transition plan?
Hon
MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:
I
thank the member for some notice of the question. I answer on behalf of the
Minister for Mental Health and provide the following response based on
information provided by the Minister for Health.
(1) No; the WA
transition plan will occur regardless on 5 February 2022. However, if Western Australia
does not reach 90 per cent double-dose
vaccination of eligible persons by 5 February 2022, additional restrictions
will be introduced for the unvaccinated.
(2) Not
applicable.
(3) Additional
restrictions may be required in some at-risk regional communities where current
projections suggest higher levels of vaccination may take longer to achieve.
These temporary additional health and social measures for impacted regions are
to protect the very vulnerable communities until a higher level of vaccination
is reached to minimise the risk. These restrictions will be removed or stepped
down once the required double-dose vaccination rate is achieved in the region,
subject to the specific health advice at the time. I encourage all eligible Western
Australians to go and get vaccinated now.
(4) Public health and social measures may be scaled up
or down based on updated health advice or rates of hospitalisation.