Western Australia has recorded a significant jump in COVID-19 case numbers, as the state prepares to move to new "very high caseload" settings and updates household contact rules.
Another 3,594 new infections have been recorded across the state.
There are also 19 more cases in hospital, making for a total of 67, but none are in intensive care.
There are now 15,750 active cases in WA.
The new cases were almost evenly split between PCR and rapid antigen test results.
A total of 17,258 people presented for PCR tests yesterday, a big jump from the previous day's 11,632 tests.
It is the highest number of people tested in a single day since at least the start of December.
More critical workers to stay on the job
WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said with rising case numbers came more people in isolation, and greater impacts on critical industries.
She said for that reason, from tomorrow, some critical workers who were close contacts but not experiencing any symptoms would be allowed to work through their isolation period.
The affected workers will need to return a negative rapid antigen test daily, wear a surgical mask when at work or travelling outside the home, and self-isolate when not at work.
The rules are already in place for some workers, include police and those in healthcare, but from tomorrow they will apply to many more industries, including freight and logistics and schools.
Ms Sanderson said some industries may never need to use the new rules.
“But the change we are announcing today means that from tomorrow, they will have the option of using them when they really need to,” she said.
The process would be managed with some oversight from the Department of Health, but businesses were being asked to do the right thing.
"It's a measure of last resort for those businesses because essentially it could potentially increase spread within those workforces," she said.
"We really want people to think carefully about their circumstances. It's really in the instances of critical delivery of services and catastrophic loses."
Asymptomatic students allowed back to school
The new very high caseload settings will change the way the virus is managed in schools.
Specific close contact definitions for the sector, which had been flagged earlier in the year, have been ruled out as too confusing.
It means the current close contact rules, which are the same as the rest of the community, will continue to apply.
In addition, many students who are asymptomatic close contacts and do not have a positive case in their household, will be allowed to return to the classroom from tomorrow.
They will be allowed to attend after-school care, sport training and events held immediately before or after school on school grounds, but should isolate outside of that.
"Face-to-face learning is key not only for children and young people's learning and development. It's important for their overall wellbeing and their physical and mental health," Education Minister Sue Ellery said.
Staff who cannot be replaced can choose to be considered critical workers and be provided with seven RATs to use before work each day.
Ms Ellery acknowledged that the change would result in a greater spread of the virus.
"But this is about trying to get that balance right for a period of time that, based on what we've seen elsewhere, case numbers will peak and then start to go down," she said.
The period ahead was going to be very difficult for schools, she said, and was being made worse by protesters who had targeted some schools, as well as parents who were taking out their anger on staff.
"This is a very, very small minority, but it has added to the burden carried by school staff," she said.
As of yesterday afternoon, 587 schools were dealing with active cases.
About 1,400 school staff and more than 17,000 students have had to isolate either as a positive case or a close contact.
Household quarantine time frame changed
Household contact rules have also been changed and will mean someone living with a positive case will only have to quarantine for seven days from when that person returned a positive test.
Currently, they are required to quarantine for seven days from their last contact with the case.
“This recognises that a case will be most infectious prior to symptom onset, or at the time of testing, and that a household contact is most likely to develop the disease in the first three to six days after exposure,” Ms Sanderson said.
Household contacts will also have to return either a negative PCR test on day six, or a negative RAT on day seven.
People who recover from COVID-19 will also be exempt from being deemed a close contact, and being required to isolate, for eight weeks after they recover.
Ms Sanderson said that was in line with national guidelines.
“We are confident these sensible measures will strike the right balance between public safety and the need for critical services to carry on,” she said.
Easing of restrictions to be 'gentle'
Earlier, Premier Mark McGowan said he was "very hopeful" the current level two COVID-19 restrictions could be relaxed by the end of March.
But Deputy Premier Roger Cook said people needed to temper their expectations about what exactly that meant.
"It doesn't mean that we will go to mask-free arrangements, it doesn't mean that we'll automatically have everyone flooding dance floors," he said.
"It will be a gentle easing of the restrictions associated with the impact of the disease.
"It won't just be opening the floodgates. It will be more about making sure we can ease off the restrictions as the disease peaks, and then we start to live with COVID."
WA is now expected to reach its peak of 10,000 daily cases on March 14 – in just five days’ time.
In light of that, Ms Sanderson said it was important to put these new rules in place now.
"That's only a few days away, so we need to make sure that business and industry and critical services, the non-government sector have the time that they need to put this in place,” she said.
McGowan texts to Kerry Stokes queried
The press conference came as the Federal Court heard about text messages between Premier Mark McGowan and the owner of the state's only daily metro newspaper, Kerry Stokes, relating to legislation introduced to prevent businessman Clive Palmer from claiming damages against the state.
When asked if the announcement on rule updates was designed to distract from those revelations, Ms Sanderson said it was part of a "planned and methodical approach" to managing caseloads.
She said some advice had been received from Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson a few days ago, but that his most recent advice was delivered last night.
Both Ms Ellery and Ms Sanderson declined to answer questions relating to the case, given it remains before the court. But Ms Sanderson said Mr McGowan conducted himself with the "highest integrity".
