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COVID-19 State of Emergency ceases in WA - what it means for you

3 November 2022

Western Australia’s COVID-19 State of Emergency will end at 12:01am this Friday, 4 November 2022 and COVID-19 will be managed through sustainable public health measures, vaccination and targeted testing processes.

The end of emergency powers marks a significant step in Western Australia’s management of the pandemic.

Western Australia now has stronger protection against serious illness from COVID-19 due to very high vaccination levels, previous infection, access to antivirals and enhanced medical and public understanding about how to manage the risks.

In practical terms, all remaining directions issued under the Emergency Management Act and the Public Health Act will be revoked.

These include proof of vaccination, mandatory vaccination, face mask use in high-risk settings, and visitors to residential aged care facilities (including requirement for influenza vaccination).

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities will continue to manage COVID-19 transmission risk, but this will now be done under their infection prevention and control policies and guidelines, as they do for other respiratory illnesses. 

Hospitals will determine mask-wearing requirements for staff and visitors.

It is recommended that visitors check the hospital’s requirements before attending because different rules may apply in hospitals and between hospitals for people visiting high-risk areas of a hospital or vulnerable patients.

At a minimum, surgical masks will still be required for healthcare staff who have direct interaction with patients, with increased PPE measures for high-risk areas of the hospital and when dealing with more vulnerable patients.

Visitors should not attend public hospitals if they are unwell.

Strong public health measures will continue to be developed and communicated by WA Health to manage COVID-19 in the community.

You should stay home and get tested if you have COVID-like symptoms, register your positive rapid antigen test (RAT) result at HealthyWA and stay up to date with vaccinations.

You should also wear a mask if you can’t socially distance from other people, cover coughs and sneezes, and wash or sanitise hands regularly.

The ongoing management of COVID-19 in Western Australia will be underpinned by continuous monitoring of the amount of virus circulating in the community via various surveillance methods.