Anti-vaxxers are officially being locked out of hospitality and entertainmxjmtzywent venues — including restaurants, pubs and gyms — while the start of the school year is also looking very different in Western Australia.
Although the hard border is not coming down on February 5 as originally planned, due to the ongoing surge of Omicron in the eastern states, there are a raft of Covid-19 changes that will impact how everyone moves around the community.
Here is everything you need to know about the harshest rules in the nation.
PROOF OF VACCINATION
Using the ServiceWA app, people can upload their vaccine certificate and use the same app to check-in at venues. There are also other ways to show your vaccine status.
Proof of vaccination is now required almost everywhere across the state for people aged 16 and over.
It includes anyone visiting residential aged care facilities and hospitals, although there will be exemptions such as people seeing sick children, end-of-life visits and birth partners.
Other venues where proof of vaccination must be shown include:
- Pubs, bars, taverns and nightclubs;
- Cafes, restaurants and dine-in fast food;
- Cinemas, theatres and museums;
- Gyms and fitness centres;
- Zoos and amusement parks;
- Bottle shops, including drive-throughs;
- Crown Perth complex;
- Major stadiums; and
- Music festivals and indoor events with more than 500 people.
Failure to follow the rules may lead to imprisonment for up to 12 months, or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals and up to $250,000 for businesses.
More information about proof of vaccination can be found here.
VACCINE MANDATES
The WA government has mandated vaccines for critical businesses, which make up the majority of the state’s workforce.
Group one — who had to be fully vaccinated by December 31 — included workers vital for community safety, such as nurses and aged care workers, or at high risk, such as border security officers.
Group two, who are considered critical to the economy and community, must now also be vaccinated.
They include workers in:
- Childcare centres;
- Supermarkets, bakeries, butchers, and fruit and vegetable stores;
- Food trucks, fast-food outlets;
- Hotels, caravan parks and camping grounds;
- Petrol stations;
- Post offices; and
- Veterinary clinics.
Workers must also receive a booster dose within one month of becoming eligible.
More information about vaccine mandates can be found here.
BACK TO SCHOOL
All secondary school students in the Perth, Peel, Great Southern, South West and Wheatbelt regions must wear masks indoors.
When WA records a higher number of cases — with that threshold yet to be defined by the state government — masks may also be required for primary school students from Year 3 and above.
Students do not have to be vaccinated to attend school, but their teachers and other school staff must have had at least two jabs.
If you are dropping off or picking up your child, or entering a classroom, you do not need to show proof of vaccination.
You must be fully vaccinated to volunteer more than one day per week, but anyone attending a school event or a parent-teacher interview does not need to show proof of vaccination.
If a child tests positive for Covid-19, the whole class will be required to isolate for two weeks.
There is also a possibility their school may be closed down while contacts are identified.
Chief health officer Andy Robertson will tweak these rules over time, as the virus numbers pick up in WA.
