Blog
AMA (WA) response to the Government’s border transition timeline and conditions
Wednesday December 15, 2021
At a media conference at the AMA (WA) office on Monday, 13 December 2021, AMA (WA) President Dr Mark Duncan-Smith gave an opening address in response to the Government’s earlier announcement of the date and arrangements for the easing of border restrictions.
“AMA (WA) welcomes the announcement today of February 5 as the date for reduced restrictions for WA.
“This will provide certainty to society. It will help with the mental health of society, and it will also provide a focus to hopefully increase those vaccination rates well beyond the 90 per cent.
“February 5 is not the end of the pandemic for WA. It is the beginning of the pandemic for WA.
“We support the travel protocols that should allow for a very slow entry of COVID into WA and that should result in is a slow burn of COVID through society rather than a tidal wave of severely ill people.
“We also support the approach to regions that have low vaccination rates that have been clearly set out and it gives them an objective of getting to 80 per cent by February 5 to avoid other restrictions which are not designed to punish them, they’re designed to protect those areas of society so that again we don’t get a rapid progression of COVID through those areas.
“AMA (WA) supports the restricted access to remote Aboriginal communities, provided that it’s undertaken in consultation with the local leaders and there should be a continued aim to increase the vaccination rates in those areas.
“We’re especially pleased that the date of February 5 allows time for at least the first dose of vaccine to be given to children aged 5-11. I certainly encourage all parents to have a plan to vaccinate their 5–11-year-olds from January 10 and have that first dose done before school goes back.
“The timing of the announcement of the fifth of February also allows time for the WA Government to watch and learn from what happens in other states.
“AMA (WA) will continue to work in a collaborative way with the Government to maximise the preparedness of society, the doctors and the hospitals in WA.”
