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Benefits of COVID-19 booster shots in WA would start to wane after March: Chief Health Officer - WAtoday

Benefits of COVID-19 booster shots in WA would start to wane after March: Chief Health Officer - WAtoday

Benefits of COVID-19 booster shots in WA would start to wane after March: Chief Health Officer - WAtoday
Jan 21, 2022 1 min, 17 secs

Third-jab vaccination rates is just one of the eight factors outlined by Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson when it comes to choosing another potential opening date as the government tries to decide the optimal conditions for tackling the inevitable spread.

Child vaccination rates, seeding of the virus, hospital capacity, the number of rapid antigen tests available, a winter surge for flu, the state of the health workforce and COVID-19 social restrictions are the other factors being considered when choosing a new opening date.

“Decisions, including those around delaying elective surgery, and for maximal workforce availability are currently planned for this date as the earliest likely date,” Dr Robertson said.

The Chief Health Officer recommended a ‘case number threshold’ be established for opening the international and interstate borders if Omicron outbreaks grew to large levels before whatever the new planned opening date was.

“If the Omicron disease were to enter WA prior to WA opening, or the current outbreak becomes established, consideration should be given to opening the borders when WA reaches a community daily caseload above a threshold level, which would require assessment to ensure that this would not further exacerbate the outbreak,” Dr Robertson said.

In a sign of the possible restrictions to come, Dr Robertson said regardless of vaccination rates a low to medium level of test, trace, isolate and quarantine capabilities and social restrictions would be needed to mitigate the impact of an Omicron outbreak and reduce demand on the hospital system.

Dr Duncan-Smith called on the state government to set a new opening date

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