New definitions for close contacts of COVID cases in WA will roll out on Tuesday along with relaxed isolation protocols, slashing the quarantine period from 14 to seven days.
WA Premier Mark McGowan says the new rules, which were first announced by the government in late January, were needed as Omicron continues to spread through the community.
Under the new rules, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for a minimum of seven days.
At the seven-day point, if they still have symptoms, they must remain in isolation until those symptoms clear.
If they have no symptoms after seven days, the person is allowed to leave isolation without being required to undergo testing.
Under the new protocols, someone will be classified as a close contact if:
- They are a household or intimate contact of a COVID-positive person and have had contact with them during their infectious period
- Have had a close personal interaction with a COVID positive person while masks were removed, including more than 15 minutes spent face-to-face or two hours in a small room
- Notified by WA Health they are a close contact based on specific circumstances
There will no longer be testing requirements for casual contacts, but people are still urged to monitor exposure sites.
There will also be relaxed isolation protocols introduced for interstate and international arrivals in WA from Wednesday, with their quarantine period also to be halved from 14 to seven days.
Travellers must however wear a mask in indoor and outdoor settings for the seven days after their quarantine period ends.
Vaccinated international arrivals will no longer need to hotel quarantine and can instead self-isolate if they can find a suitable premises.
The cap on international arrivals in WA is also set to double to 530 per week.
The new rules will not apply to the unvaccinated international arrivals, who are still required to undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine.
Mr McGowan said it was necessary to adopt the “higher caseload guidelines” as case numbers were expected to rise in the coming days.
It comes after the state recorded 26 new local COVID cases overnight, with authorities confirming several of them had been infectious in the community.
Mr McGowan said the new rules were designed to keep schools open, while allowing them to operate safely.
Definitions of close contacts and protocols for isolation in schools will be in line with the new rules being rolled out for the wider community.
Some new measures that will be introduced at schools include:
- Prohibiting indoor face-to-face events
- Cancelling or postponing school camps
- Dividing children into groups to limit mingling
- Modification to timetables, break times, and pick up and drop off times (where practicable)
A series of specific protocols for schools announced last month will be introduced when WA reaches a "very high caseload" of COVID-19 in the community.
Rules 'mark beginning of pandemic for WA'
Mr McGowan warned the new rules did not mark the end of the pandemic for WA, saying it was more like the start of it.
"The last two years we have used effectively to get our vaccination rate up, to get more hospital beds online, to get first, second, and third doses, to get children vaccinated, to get the public prepared, to get all the protocols ready.
"Every other thing we have done over the course of the last two years has been to get ready for this point, because we haven't effectively had spread of the virus in Western Australia for two years.
"Now we are heading into a more difficult environment, but the good thing is with our vaccination levels, we will be better prepared than any other state in Australia for this point."
Mark McGowan also confirmed that the hundreds of people already undergoing 14 days of mandatory quarantine in WA would be allowed to leave earlier.
"Once they have done seven days of isolation, provided they have a negative test, they will be free to go," he said.
Separated families celebrate changes
Among those celebrating the news from isolation was Perth woman Pippa Hurst and her daughter Cameron, who had moved to Melbourne a few years ago.
"It didn't make sense to have people locked down for two whole weeks, we've all had our boosters, we're triple vaccinated, so we think it's the right decision."
Cameron Hurst flew into Perth from Melbourne on Saturday and her Perth-based parents chose to join her for two weeks of self-quarantine at their home.
"It was just really sad and hard being stuck in Melbourne, and I'm really close to my family, and I really wanted to see them," Cameron said.
"My grandma was really happy, she texted me saying, 'Woohoo, seven days!', everyone was really pleased."
With limited time off work, Cameron was only going to have a few days in Perth after isolating before she was due to fly out.
"I think it's really hard when you're a long way from your kids, and everyone is trying to put on a brave face and there's a lot of tears and a lot of emotion that you try not to focus on," Pippa said.
"When you finally do get to see someone again, it's really quite emotional.
"It is so terrible not having any certainty, when you know you can't give your kids a hug when they're stuck."
Reduced quarantine good news for schools
It is positive news for hundreds of staff and students from several Perth schools who were forced into isolation, including dozens of children from a Beaconsfield primary school in years 3 and 4.
For young children who require more care, a parent or guardian is required to isolate alongside them if they are a close contact.
Such was the case for Frances Barns and her son, eight-year-old Tidiwa Joe, who is a student at Winterfold Primary school.
They went into self-quarantine last Tuesday after two teachers at the school tested positive for COVID-19.
Ms Barns hoped the new rules meant they would be allowed out of isolation tomorrow, but she said they were waiting for official advice from WA Health.
Ms Barns said she has been working from home but for others who had been forced to take time off, the impacts were severe.
She also said it was not easy on young children and quite disruptive to their education.
"It's important to balance the containment of the virus with psychological and financial considerations and stuff," she said.
"I think it's definitely a good idea to cut it to seven days, that's what they've done over east and overseas in most places."
Penalty for failure to register RAT results
Rapid antigen tests will now be used by WA Health alongside its PCR testing regime.
"Rapid antigen tests provide a quick result and are useful in a high caseload environment," Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.
"Our state run clinics will have a supply of RATs that they can use when it is not possible to administer a PCR test because demand is too high.
"Our clinics will also provide RATs to be used later in the isolation period or at day seven ahead of coming out of self-isolation."
Ms Sanderson said, in line with national advice, the tests were safe to use on children from the age of two.
She said children aged 12 to 17 could perform the test themselves with a parent or guardian supervising.
Anyone who records a positive RAT test result that was self-administered at home will face up to 12 months in prison or a $50,000 fine if they fail to register it with the health department.
Ms Sanderson said people should continue to use PCR testing as a first priority.
