WA lets slip plan to mandate COVID-19 jabs for all interstate travellers

WA lets slip plan to mandate COVID-19 jabs for all interstate travellers

The Western Australian government has been forced to do a bit of explaining after its health department appeared to accidentally release details of a plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all interstate visitors.

According to ABC News, the WA government’s Frequently Asked Questions page for mandatory vaccinations was advising on Thursday morning that “from Monday 15 November, all travellers from ‘very low risk’ jurisdictions will be required to be fully vaccinated”.

“WA is the first jurisdiction to introduce this type of measure,” the FAQ page said.

The info has since been removed from the WA government’s page, with Premier Mark McGowan putting it down to an administrative error.

“That is not correct at this point in time,” McGowan told ABC Radio Perth.

“There has been some administrative mistakes there, but that is certainly the direction we are heading.

“Currently, anyone coming in from Victoria or NSW, that is the requirement. In the future, that is the direction we are heading.

“If you want to go overseas, get vaccinated. If you want to travel, get vaccinated. That is basically the direction the entire country is going.”

The WA government has also halted the planned reopening of its border to Queenslanders following a positive COVID case in the Sunshine State that has health authorities concerned.

WA was all set to allow quarantine-free travel from Queensland from today, but has paused this move and will review its decision on Monday.

“It appears the case in Queensland has authorities very concerned and, as such, we won’t be taking any unnecessary risks,” McGowan said.

“The chief health officer has advised we need to keep Queensland as a ‘low risk’ jurisdiction for the coming days pending a review on Monday.”


Featured image source: ABC News

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