Premier Mark McGowan lifts intrastate travel restrictions in time for public holiday

Premier Mark McGowan has announced intrastate borders will be lifted by the end of this week.

From Thursday night, 11.59pm, travel will be possible throughout the state with the exception of the Kimberley and bio-security zones in the east Pilbara and part of the Goldfields where travel exemptions will still apply until June 5.

“As of this Friday people in Perth will be able to travel around the southern parts of the state, which is virtually the entire state with the exception of the Kimberley,” Mr McGowan said on Monday.

“This is the golden opportunity for many people to experience and enjoy Western Australia.”

While Broome remains out of bounds, the Premier said he expected it to become available to travellers by June 5, with restrictions expected to remain for the 274 remote Indigenous communities across the Kimberley, east Pilbara and Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku, in consultation with the communities and the Commonwealth.

But he cautioned against booking non-refundable Broome holidays just yet, “because that’s outside our control, we have to get [the Commonwealth’s] agreement before that’s lifted”.

The Premier remained firm on the interstate border.

“It’s a small inconvenience not to be able to travel to Melbourne or Sydney over this period if it means we have less chance of COVID-19 coming into our state,” Mr McGowan said.

He said the travel restrictions had been a "necessary measure" as part of their "suppress with a vengeance" strategy to try and rid the state of as much of the virus as possible, knowing full well they wouldn't be able to be free of the threat entirely.

WA recorded four new virus cases overnight, taking the total to 564, with six active cases.

Health Minister Roger Cook said a Victorian family, who had travelled to Perth from Doha on Qatar flight QR900 on May 17, tested positive while in hotel quarantine.

He said the parents and two teenagers would remain in quarantine until they were cleared for travel to Victoria.

“These new cases are a timely reminder that the virus is still very much active and we’re still very much at risk, it only takes one person,” he said.

Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said he was relieved common sense was starting to prevail.

“Businesses have been at breaking point,” he said.

He said the purpose of the intrastate travel restrictions had always been to help hospitals get ready for patients to present with COVID-19.

Geraldton hospital now stood ready and there had been no new cases in the Mid West for seven weeks.

Mr Van Styn called for the lifting of restrictions on beauticians, pubs and skate parks, as well as the upping of the 20-person limit at venues able to hold more people while maintaining social distancing.

“It’s just vitally important that restrictions ... be lifted so our tourists have something to do when they arrive,” he said.

“So our tourism economies can cater for the tourism coming our way.

“Most businesses in Geraldton have continued to trade in a takeaway model, so they will be more than ready to be opening for the long weekend.”

Broome Chamber of Commerce president Peter Taylor said people in the Kimberley were confident outbreaks could be safely managed.

"Everybody in the Kimberley is pretty confident we're safe to open and we need the people here, because our tourism industry has just been decimated," he said.

Mr Taylor said the easing travel restrictions was "definitely a positive move for the rest of the state".

"And it's one step closer to some certainty, which Broome needs, but I urge the Premier to please confirm the lifting of the bio-security status as soon as possible so we can get that final level of certainty we need to start attracting people to Broome to save the tourist industry."

Mr Taylor said the region had already lost a massive influx of people, but there was a "huge pent up demand for people wanting to come to Broome for a tropical holiday during the WA south's winter".

"We're ready to welcome them, but we just need the certainty of a date when we're open so people have confidence to book," he said.

"Cable Beach is somewhere you can socially isolate whether you need to or not."

Opposition tourism spokeswoman Alyssa Hayden also welcomed the opening of WA’s regions, but said she was disappointed the Kimberley had missed out.

She said Broome and the Kimberley couldn't afford to miss out on the tourism season.

"I'm asking the Premier to review the restrictions around the Kimberley given WA has still not had any community spread," Ms Hayden said.

"I acknowledge the concern for the health and wellbeing of our remote communities but with the incredibly low numbers of COVID-19 cases, the risk to them at this time is negligible.

"According to the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 98 per cent of the Kimberley region's businesses benefit from visitors, with 80 per cent of those being directly involved in tourism, hospitality and retail, but they have lost more than $22 million during their forced closure."

Mr McGowan said he hoped to enact Phase 3, which will loosen restrictions significantly, as soon as possible after WA Day's long weekend.

“If we continue to record low case numbers, I look forward to finalising Phase 3 of the WA
roadmap and significantly ease restrictions further across our state," he said.

“Based on health advice, Western Australia’s hard border with the rest of the country will
remain in place, and will likely be the final restriction lifted.”

with Aja Styles