Public health and social measures to ease from 12:01am, Thursday 14 April

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Public health measures will ease at 12:01am tomorrow, including relaxed capacity limits for gatherings and hospitality and refined close contact definitions.
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A graphic showing easing of public health and social measures

Based on the latest health advice, public health measures will be relaxed further from 12.01am, Thursday 14 April.

Gatherings

  • No limits to home and private outdoor gatherings

Density and capacity limits

  • The 500 patron limit removed for hospitality venues, nightclubs, convention centres or function centres
  • The 2 square metre rule remains in effect.
  • For entertainment venues such as indoor or outdoor cinemas, theatres, concert halls, live music venues, or a convention centre, the capacity limit is either the 2 square metre rule or 75% fixed seating capacity, whichever is greater.

Close contacts

Refined close contact definition to align with National Cabinet’s definition.

A close contact is now defined as:

  • a household member or intimate partner of a person with COVID-19 who has had contact with them during their infectious period,
  • someone who has had close personal interaction with a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period, where they spent 4 hours of cumulative contact with them in a residential setting, (i.e. a home, accommodation facility) where masks have been removed by both people for all of this period
  • someone who is directed by WA Health that they are a close contact.

The refined close contact definition means schools will no longer need to contact trace classroom or equivalent contacts when school resumes for Term 2.

People in isolation who are not a household close contact will be able to leave isolation at 12.01am tomorrow (Thursday 14 April).

Contact registration

  • Contact registration will only be required for people visiting a hospital
  • Proof of vaccination requirements remain unchanged

COVID-19 testing for travellers into WA

  • Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) on arrival will not be required for international and domestic travellers
  • RATs will still be available for all travellers arriving into WA
  • People are encouraged to take up use of the free RATs and must register (external link) any positive result with the Department of Health.