WA FIFO work to return under strict health protocols

The South-West will return to pre-lockdown conditions at 6pm Friday while Perth and Peel will have transitional restrictions until 12.01am Perth time on Sunday February 14.

As FIFO flights return to normal, workers will need to follow strict health protocols and provide documentation of their travels.

The post-lockdown transition period in Perth and Peel will require mandatory mask wearing in public and at work, a four-square metre capacity rule and essential travel, including work permitted between Perth, Peel and Western Australia’s regions.

Premier Mark McGowan thanked the Western Australian community for their cooperation during the lockdown and urged Western Australians to stay vigilant in the coming weeks.

“While the lockdown will end tomorrow and people in Perth, Peel and the South-West regions will be able to leave their homes, a number of restrictions will remain in place and particularly for Perth and Peel, a new transitional arrangement will be in place until next Sunday,” McGowan said.

“It’s been a simply remarkable achievement and the credit goes to each and every Western Australian who made sacrifices this week to keep the community safe and get our state back to normal as soon as possible.”

Under the lockdown, Western Australian miners including Fortescue Metals Group, BHP and Mineral Resources cancelled FIFO flights until the end of lockdown.

Mines continued operating as essential services with workers already on-site, suspending all roster changes until the end of the lockdown period.

Western Australia recorded two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, which were both related to overseas travel, bringing the state’s total cases to 906.

The government has completed contract tracing around case 903, the case that triggered the lockdown which identified 489 close and casual contacts.

Most contacts have returned negative results and WA Health is following up with the contacts still waiting on test results.

WA Health is monitoring the state’s 10 active cases of COVID-19 which are in hotel quarantine.