Western Australia has introduced a controlled interstate border regime as it opens the state to Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
Interstate fly-in, fly out (FIFO) workers can now return home and enter the state.
They are required to undergo a health screening and temperature test on arrival at the Perth Airport and complete a declaration to confirm the absence of any COVID-19 symptoms in over 14 days.
Land arrivals will also be met at the border checkpoint for a health screening and pass declaration check.
Only travellers coming from “low risk” (and not “very low risk”) jurisdictions, such as Victoria and New South Wales, will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days and take a COVID-19 test on day 11.
Failures to follow these directions could incur penalties ranging from $1000 infringements to up to $50,000 fines for individuals.
“Based on the health advice, we are now at the next step of our journey to safely and sensibly transition from our hard border to a new controlled interstate border,” Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said.
“For more than seven months Western Australia has been isolated from the rest of the country, as we protected our community from COVID-19 and emerged from our own restrictions safely, inside our island within an island.
“We are following the public health advice and taking safe, steady and sensible steps to cautiously replace our hard border with a new controlled border.”
A 14-day rolling average of less than five community cases per day will be required before Western Australia progresses to the new border controls.
A two-square-metre social distancing rule and remote Aboriginal community restrictions will remain in place.