The government of Western Australia have announced that all remaining restrictions for venues will be dropped from Friday 29 April at 12:01am.
Premier Mark McGowan has congratulated Western Australians on achieving a “soft landing” during the Omicron wave as the state approaches a triple dose vaccination rate of 80 per cent.
“With our world-leading vaccination rates and a stable level of community spread of the virus, the latest health advice is that we can safely ease our public health measures,” says the Premier.
Capacity limits and the two square metre rule will be scrapped for all venues in addition to proof of vaccination requirements for patrons upon entry.
Asymptomatic close contacts no longer need to isolate but must wear masks outside the home and undergo regular rapid antigen tests.
Workers who are deemed close contacts are to inform employers of their status.
Close contacts who are symptomatic still need to isolate and take regular rapid antigen tests until symptoms resolve. If they eventually test positive they must isolate for a further seven days.
Seven-day isolation periods are still mandatory for those who test positive.
Mask wearing will be encouraged throughout the state but is no longer necessary in specific settings and vaccination requirements for workplaces will remain.
Since the surge in cases, due to the Omicron variant, hospitality venues have experienced staff shortages across the country.
The Australian Hotels Association in Western Australia celebrated the news after a challenging two years for the industry.
“Bars, hotels, pubs, taverns, restaurants and function centres across the state will be celebrating this afternoon, as will all Western Australians who have understandably grown tired of the restrictions associated with the pandemic,” says CEO Bradley Woods.
“Since March 2020, hospitality venues have navigated a multitude of ever-changing public health measures, which has placed great challenges on the industry and the staff who have been responsible for implementing them.
“The McGowan Government should be commended for achieving the ‘soft landing’ we had hoped for, with a very low number of COVID-19 deaths and the quick removal of the remaining restrictions.”
Image Credit: Miss Tourist