The day before Western Australia reopens to the world, the state has recorded 1,766 new local cases of COVID-19, with the hospital system put on red alert and Premier Mark McGowan announcing a $72 million support package for affected businesses.
Another four cases were found in travellers, bringing the total number of new infections to 1,770.
The majority of cases were detected from 14,545 PCR tests conducted yesterday, while 732 were picked up by self-reported rapid antigen tests (RATs).
It means there are now 6,979 active cases in WA, with 16 in hospital and none in ICU.
While those numbers remain low, WA Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said it was necessary for hospitals to move to the second-highest level of alert.
Business support grants available
Mr McGowan said $66.8 million had been set aside for businesses that have seen at least a 50 per cent reduction in turnover in any four-week period since the start of the year, compared to the same period last year.
Businesses will be offered different grants depending on how many staff they employ:
- Sole traders: $3,000
- Micro businesses (1 to 5 employees): $7,500
- Small businesses (6 to 19 employees): $20,000
- Medium businesses (20+ employees with annual payroll up to $4 million): $50,000
"It won't cover everything, but together with existing support like grants, rent relief and waiving government fees, it will help make a difference during this difficult period," Mr McGowan said.
Large hospitality businesses that meet those criteria and have annual payroll between $4 million and $20 million will have their payroll tax waived for three months.
"For many larger businesses, payroll tax relief for three months might not be enough to cover the impact of the next four weeks, but I hope it still makes a difference," the Premier said.
Professional sporting clubs, like the Glory, Lynx, Wildcats and Western Force will also receive a $35,000 rebate per game for venue hire until June 30.
Fees associated with the public transport included in tickets will be waived this month, with clubs only required to pay half of that cost for matches in April.
They will also not have to pay for public transport to matches for this month, and will only have to pay half the cost for matches next month.
Mr McGowan said businesses would be able to apply for the grants from next week, and payments will be processed "as quickly as possible".
Mr McGowan said funding for event organisers and suppliers had previously depended on events being cancelled, but the scheme was now being reconsidered.
Businesses in the arts, live music and events industries will be among those eligible.
Hospitals recognise increased risk
Public hospitals have shifted to a red alert level under WA's COVID-19 framework for System Alert and Response (SAR) In recognition of the Omicron threat.
The red level means the state is experiencing "widespread transmission" with increasing and high rates of community spread of the virus.
The Premier said a code red was necessary now to prepare for a coming wave of hospitalisations.
"We expect the hospitalisation rate will grow over coming weeks, and that's why our hospitals need to be prepared," he said.
In a statement published by the WA Health Department, Dr Robertson said the transition meant health service providers would take further measures to "manage the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission and reduce impacts within hospitals as much as possible".
Red alert measures being rolled out in hospitals include:
- Increased use of PPE, including N95 masks
- Extended use of telehealth for outpatient services
- Deferral of non-urgent face-to-face services
- Visits restricted to approved visitors or those with exemptions
- RATs for all patients attending
- RATs for visitors, essential carers, and parents and guardians in high-risk areas or for vulnerable patients
- Voluntary RATs three times a week for staff who regularly work with high-risk patients.
Category two and three elective surgeries will also be reduced at public hospitals from March 14 and some larger private hospitals from March 21.
Hospitals are expected to be in the full red alert phase by close of business tomorrow, coinciding with the state's border reopening.
Dr Robertson acknowledged the measures might be inconvenient and upsetting for some people, but said they were necessary to keep vulnerable patients safe.
"The WA health system thanks all staff, patients and visitors for their ongoing support of WA's hospital system to manage our COVID-19 response, in what is recognised as a very challenging time," he said.
Opposition wants explanation over restrictions
The opposition has continued its calls for the WA government to provide greater clarity about new restrictions announced earlier this week, with official legal directions still yet to be published.
"It's really challenging for businesses to have the Premier making these announcements, then not having the detail they require to actually plan," Opposition Leader Mia Davies said.
Ms Davies also asked Premier Mark McGowan to provide more clear explanations about the need for some health measures.
"The Premier simply shrugs his shoulders and says it's according to the health advice," she said.
"It's incumbent on him to provide the rationale and the evidence."
Ms Davies said with WA reopening, Mr McGowan needed to stop using "language of fear" around COVID-19.
Shadow Small Business Minister Steve Thomas also called on the government to quickly roll out support to businesses affected by the level two restrictions, which come into effect tomorrow.
"By the time this package rolls out, some of those businesses will have gone under," he said.
The government has not yet announced what that support will look like, but has revealed it will be handing out more than 3,000 vouchers to travellers arriving in the state over the next week to help boost the tourism sector.
The vouchers will range in value from $150 to $2,200 and will offer experiences with about 20 different operators.
Mr Thomas said while the vouchers were useful, they were not a plan or a proper response.
"This is just another ad hoc thought bubble that Mark McGowan has rolled out to try and divert attention away from the fact that he doesn't have a proper plan in place," he said.
About 8,000 travellers are expected to arrive in WA over the next two days.
Bid to raise low Indigenous vaccination rates
Meanwhile, the state's Vaccine Commander Gary Dreibergs revealed the booster rate among Aboriginal West Australians was about half that of the rest of the population.
Only 70 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 16 and above were double-jabbed, compared to 95 per cent of the broader community.
Health authorities were hoping to change that with a six-week vaccination campaign in four regional areas – the Pilbara, Kimberley, Mid-West and Goldfields.
Mr Dreibergs said with cases spreading across the state, it was an urgent and concerning issue and teams would fly out from Perth to different regions to help staff on the ground.
"So it's our job and my job to make sure that we make it as easy as we possibly can for people to get vaccinated in those locations."
Wanita Bartholomeusz has been advising the government on the rollout into Aboriginal communities and said staff would work one-on-one with people who had concerns.
"We do have a component of people that need a little more support or a little bit more advice, and the plan is to get more resources into the communities to boost that," she said.
Ms Bartholomeusz said some communities did not respond well to advertising campaigns, and that working with people to allay any fears or resolve issues made a big difference.
She recalled a time where she was able to help convince 77 family members to get the jab in one day.
"The only way you can have that is more face-to-face yarning to pick up on people's concerns," she said.
While the government had earlier flagged travel restrictions for regions with low vaccination rates, Mr Dreibergs said that was no longer being considered.
