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  • Western Australia demands proof of jab for NSW travellers

    Author: AAP

Western Australia will require arrivals from NSW to provide evidence they have had at least one vaccine dose and a negative coronavirus test.

Western Australia will demand arrivals from NSW prove they have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine under tough new arrangements.

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Travellers must also provide proof of a negative PCR test in the 72 hours prior to departure, Premier Mark McGowan announced on Friday.

The measures will come into effect from Tuesday when NSW will move to a beefed-up "high risk" category under WA's controlled border regime.

It comes as NSW on Friday reported 390 new locally-acquired cases and a further two deaths.

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"Given what is happening in NSW, there's no sign of the situation improving over coming weeks," Mr McGowan told reporters.

"These are tough measures but they are necessary to protect the state.

"The situation in NSW is very serious and our hard border arrangements must reflect that and reduce the risk to Western Australians."

Scott Morrison backed the arrangements after Friday's national cabinet meeting.

"That is not unlike the sorts of things we have been talking about for some time, where people are vaccinated, and an exemption is being granted, but the vaccination aids that exemption being given on public health grounds," the prime minister said.

"I think that is very consistent with what the national plan is seeking to achieve, and as I said last week, all premiers and chief ministers strongly committed and agreed to the national plan."

But Mr Morrison warned that such measures should not be maintained once most Australians had been vaccinated.

"It's a decision for now, because borders exist now," he said.

"But in the future, the whole point of getting to 70 per cent and 80 per cent is to say, ultimately, goodbye to those arrangements as well."

Mr McGowan earlier wouldn't rule out keeping vaccine passports beyond that point if there were outbreaks in other states.

He said the tough new rules offered a template for other states to replicate.

"The legal advice is very clear that, based upon the advice of the chief health officer, this is entirely lawful," he added.

NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are already subject to a hard border, denying entry to the vast majority of travellers.

Mr McGowan said 61 approved travellers had arrived in Perth from NSW over the past two days and another 43 were due to arrive on Friday.

Compassionate exemptions will be adjusted to ensure West Australians in NSW are able to return home subject to getting vaccinated and tested.

The ACT will also be subject to a hard border from midnight on Friday after an outbreak forced the nation's capital into a seven-day lockdown.

But SA will enter the low-risk category, expanding eligibility to more travellers. They will still be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

WA will also introduce an "extreme risk" category, restricting entry to Commonwealth, state and specialist officials and forcing them to enter hotel quarantine for 14 days.

The trigger point for jurisdictions to enter that category will be an average of more than 500 community cases per day.

States and territories will enter the high-risk category when they record an average of more than 50 daily community cases.

WA recorded no new cases overnight. The state is monitoring four active cases.

Mr McGowan said the Darya Krishna cargo ship was expected to leave Fremantle on Tuesday, with most crew members having recovered from their infections.

One man remains in intensive care at Perth's Fiona Stanley Hospital.

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