Western Australian Government announces end to mask mandates and capacity limits for events and venues

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has announced that the state will end many of its Covid restrictions from Friday with its mask mandate, density and capacity limits, proof of vaccination and G2G Pass requirements all set to end.

Density and capacity limits will be scrapped for venues and events, along with proof of Covid vaccinations while COVID Safety and Event Plans will no longer be mandatory – although facilities, venues and events will be encouraged to still abide by them.

The G2G Pass registration and mandate to be triple vaccinated will also be dropped for interstate travellers while masks will no longer mandatory except on public transport, airports and hospitals, residential aged care and disability service facilities, and correctional facilities.

Announcing the easing of restrictions, Premier McGowan (pictured) stated “WA has secured the soft landing we planned thanks to efforts of Western Australians, our world-leading vaccination rates, and common sense decision to delay the full border reopening.

Tourism Council WA (TCWA) has welcomed the announcement saying the return to “baseline settings” represents a huge step forward for tourism and events.

TCWA Chief Executive, Evan Hall advised “the G2G border restrictions created uncertainty for international and interstate visitors, and it is great to once again have the ability to freely travel between Australian states.

Noting that it would take some time to see bookings return for leisure tourism and major entertainment and sporting events, Hall added “Western Australia is now open for business and the tourism industry looks forward to welcoming back visitors.

“With sporting teams and entertainers able to confidently travel and perform in front of full stadiums, Western Australia can look forward to experiencing major events once again.”

Hall continues to call for sizable investments in international aviation and major events to ensure the recovery of the Western Australian tourism industry.

As of last week, Victoria and NSW ended quarantine for close contacts while Victoria also abandoned proof of vaccination status to enter hospitality or entertainment venues, and check-in QR codes.