WA Health is reporting one new case of COVID-19 overnight; a returned traveller, a woman in her late 40s who is in hotel quarantine.
The State’s total is now 1096. To date, 1080 people have recovered from the virus in WA.
WA Health is now monitoring seven active COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine.
The 18 close and casual contacts of a positive case on Friday, a returned traveller in her 20s, have now been tested. As of 11am Sunday (September 26), all close and casual contacts had returned a negative COVID-19 test result. No results are pending. The close contacts will remain in quarantine as directed.
Contact tracers have identified 56 close and casual contacts linked to a New South Wales truck driver, who returned a positive PCR result for COVID-19 last week. As of 8pm last night, 48 contacts had tested negative to COVID-19 with four test results pending and four people still being tested.
All contacts will remain in quarantine as directed.
The list of exposure sites is published on the HealthyWA and wa.gov.au (external site) websites.
People are urged to check the list of exposure sites and get tested immediately if they have been to one of the sites.
Testing clinics
Yesterday, 504 people were swabbed at State-run clinics. A list of all testing clinics is available on the HealthyWA website.
COVID-19 vaccinations
There will be a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the 2021 Perth Royal Show (external link). There are still plenty of spots available today.
Western Australian children aged 12 to 15 years are now eligible for a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination (external site). Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit rollup.wa.gov.au (external site) to register and book appointments for their children in this age group.
Walk-in community clinics are available for young people aged 16 years and over (year 11 and 12) and school staff (external site). Bookings are not required but it is recommended registrations are made through a VaccinateWA (external site) account to make it easier to check in. Proof of age is also required.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (external site) is now available at selected WA pharmacies. To find a pharmacy offering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, visit Vaccine Clinic Finder (external site) or findapharmacy (external site).
For the latest WA vaccination figures, visit the COVID-19 Coronavirus: Vaccination dashboard (external site)**.
Border controls
From late next month, freight, transport and logistics workers must have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter Western Australia from ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ risk jurisdictions, based on the latest public health advice.
Changes to the Transport, Freight and Logistics Directions under the Emergency Management Act 2005 will further protect this highly mobile workforce.
The Directions include, but are not limited to, freight truck drivers, pilot/support vehicle drivers, removalists, rail drivers and rail support crew, where these employees are required to travel from or through a ‘high’ or an ‘extreme’ risk jurisdiction for work.
New directions make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory (external site) for WA’s port workers who board or work with exposed vessels. A pop-up vaccination clinic will be available at Fremantle Port on 30 September to make it easier for workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Victorian update
Based on the latest health advice, Victoria will be elevated to the extreme risk (external site) category from 12.01am Wednesday, 29 September, 2021. This means travel from Victoria to Western Australia will not be permitted.
Under this category, exemptions for approved travellers has been further restricted to Commonwealth and State officials, Members of Parliament, diplomats and specialist or extraordinary circumstances determined by the State Emergency Coordinator or the Chief Health Officer.
These approved travellers are subject to the following conditions, unless otherwise advised, and are required to:
- undertake mandatory hotel quarantine at a State quarantine facility for 14 days at their expense
- get tested for COVID-19 on days one, five and 13
- have returned a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the past 72 hours
- receipt of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, if eligible.
Other states
- New South Wales is in the extreme risk (external site) category. This means travel from NSW to WA is not permitted, except under strict conditions.
- The Australian Capital Territory is in the medium risk (external site) category. Approved travellers aged 12 years and older must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the 72 hours before departure.
- Queensland is in the low risk category (external site).
- South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are considered very low risk (external site).
New Zealand
In line with all other Australian jurisdictions, travel from New Zealand is treated as travel from an international location (external site).
Variants
To date, 160 cases of variant strains have been detected in Western Australia – including 53 Alpha strain, 15 Beta strain, one Gamma strain and 91 Delta strain.
Visit WA Health’s HealthyWA website for the latest information on COVID-19.
