Western Australia's border is finally coming down.
Two years into the pandemic, travel freedoms taken away long ago will return — with interstate and international borders to open early next month.
But the reopening will be accompanied by new restrictions designed to keep a lid on a growing Omicron outbreak in the state.
So, how will it all work?
When do the borders open?
On 12:01am on Thursday March 3, WA's hard border will be removed.
Interstate and international arrivals will be allowed to enter the state without having to quarantine.
But things will not return to how they were pre-pandemic. Some limitations will still be in place.
Will the reopening actually go ahead?
That will be the question front of mind for many West Australians, given the scrapping of the previous reopening plan so close to when it was supposed to happen.
Premier Mark McGowan tried to downplay any fears of a repeat though, describing the date as "locked in".
"I cannot foresee a situation where it would change," he said.
Mr McGowan had described the previous February 5 date as "locked in". But on this occasion there is much less time for the situation to change.
What do I have to do to travel to WA?
Be vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most important thing.
Unvaccinated domestic travellers will effectively remain locked out, with anyone eligible for a booster also required to have had one of those.
International arrivals will need at least two doses, with the discrepancy due to the Commonwealth definition for "fully vaccinated" when it comes to travel.
The G2G pass system will remain in place to track arrivals, but there will be no need to meet exemption criteria or demonstrate a need to come to WA.
A very small cohort of 70 unvaccinated international arrivals will be allowed in each week, but they will have to spend seven days in hotel quarantine.
What happens when I get to WA?
If you are vaccinated, you will not have to quarantine.
In fact, the rules are less onerous than they were under the previously abandoned February 5 reopening plan.
All arrivals will be required to do is take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours and report any positive result to authorities.
Obviously, anyone who tests positive for the virus will then be required to isolate.
What will this mean for the spread of the virus?
The government is yet to provide its full modelling, but it has given the key details.
The state's ongoing outbreak is expected to peak at about 10,000 cases per day in late March.
At the peak, there would be 443 people in hospital with the virus and another 53 in intensive care.
The state would record about four deaths per day.
All of those are numbers are unlike the state has ever seen before, but the government concedes it cannot stop WA's ongoing outbreak regardless of any relaxation of travel restrictions.
So, does that mean new restrictions?
It does — and they will come into force before borders open.
From Monday, the 2 square metre rule will return, capping capacity at hospitality venues, gyms and a long list of other venues.
At nightclubs, the limit will be 500 people or the 2 square metre limit — whichever number is lower.
Home gatherings will be limited to 30 people and private outdoor gatherings capped at 200.
At stadia, cinemas and theatres, capacity will be capped at 75 per cent. That means a maximum of 45,000 people at Perth Stadium.
What about in the regions?
Those rules will apply to any region which has community spread of the virus.
At the moment, that is the Perth, Peel, South West, Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Pilbara regions.
When the virus spreads in other parts of the state, they will be added to that list and face the same rules.
But in the meantime, the only restriction being extended to the Kimberley, Goldfields, Mid West and Goldfields-Esperance regions is an indoor mask mandate.
Could those restrictions be ramped up?
Yes, the government has already flagged that rules will be tightened if required to "help reduce increasing transmission".
The restrictions that come into force on Monday have been dubbed "level one", with a broad outline of what 'level two" rules would look like also provided.
When and if the state moves to level two, that could see capacity limits tightened to the 4 square metre rule for indoor venues, home gatherings capped at 10 people and working at home for vulnerable people.
Rapid tests could also be required for visitors at aged and disability care facilities and the school mask mandate could be expanded to years three and above.
But there is no clarity on when WA will move to those tighter restrictions.
Is anything else changing?
There is one tweak relating to the vaccine mandate.
Proof of vaccination will no longer be required at bottle shops, following complaints from the industry about the difficulties of enforcing that rule.
The Premier also said the state was looking at QR code check-ins, but that requirement remains in place for now.
