Western Australia has recorded a massive spike in COVID-19 cases, with 643 new local infections reported.
Key points:
- Case numbers have soared after hovering above 200 for several days
- There were fewer PCR tests done, but far more positive RAT results
- Restrictions on private outdoor gatherings have been relaxed
There are now five COVID cases in WA hospitals, after three more people were admitted.
Just two new travel-related cases have been recorded.
The spike in new infections comes after a series of days with more than 200 local cases being recorded.
There were 258 cases reported yesterday.
A total of 11,157 PCR tests were conducted in the state yesterday, down from the 11,563 undertaken the day before.
Among Wednesday’s new cases, 174 were the result of people self-reporting positive rapid antigen test (RAT) results, up from 22 positive RAT results yesterday.
Big surge no shock, AMA says
Doctors said the increase in cases was not a surprise, and was in line with projections of thousands of cases a day in March.
Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said the Omicron modelling released by the state government yesterday was on par with what doctors had expected.
“It’s heartening that the government’s modelling is pretty similar to AMA WA’s modelling, based on South Australia’s figures,” he said.
“We predicted just over 9,000 cases a day at the peak, they’re predicting 10,000 a day at the peak.
“The importance for the community here is that’s with restrictions.”
Dr Duncan-Smith said restrictions were crucial to stop the case peak predictions multiplying dramatically.
Two more cases in remote community
WA’s current vaccination rate stands at 98.9 per cent first dose, 95.8 per cent double dose and 59.2 per cent third dose.
There have been two new cases linked to the remote community of Jameson near the WA border, taking the total number there to six.
Speaking outside parliament at midday, Mr McGowan said both cases were police officers, and the government was not considering broader restrictions in the area.
“The Jameson outbreak is very constrained into one community, so we’re not at the point of putting in place the level one restrictions at this point in time in the Goldfields … but should we have to, we will in the future,” he said.
Outdoor gathering restrictions relaxed
Mr McGowan also revealed restrictions were changing for private outdoor gatherings, including birthday parties and backyard weddings.
Under existing restrictions, indoor private gatherings remain capped at 30 people, regardless of the size of the residence.
But the cap for outdoor gatherings has been raised to 200 attendees.
They can be held in an outdoor area of a home, such as a backyard, under certain conditions, including:
- The gathering is taking place predominantly outside
- No more than 30 people at the gathering can be inside at any one time, this includes people who live at the address
- There are at least two square metres of space per person in the outdoor area of your home.
The Premier said he did not want to move WA to level two restrictions, which would see the four-square-metre rule implemented, despite the jump in case numbers.
He said the government was monitoring hospitalisation levels, saying they so far remained very low.
Mark McGowan still plans to self-isolate
Mr McGowan also reaffirmed his commitment to isolate for seven days on his return next month from New South Wales, where he is set to give evidence in a defamation action taken against him by mining magnate Clive Palmer.
This is despite the isolation requirement being removed for travellers from March 3, when WA is due to remove its border restrictions with other states.
“Whatever I did, and whatever I do, I’ll get attacked from one side or the other,” Mr McGowan said.
“I just thought in light of the fact I had said before that I would self-isolate, that I would deliver on what I said, because that is most understandable and the easiest position to ensure that no-one can say that the rules were manipulated to suit me.”
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