COVID WRAP: WA records 224 new COVID cases, public health measures reintroduced and a new registration system for critical workers.
Western Australia has recorded 213 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 overnight, as the state government unveiled its new registration system for critical workers.
In a press conference this morning, Premier Mark McGowan confirmed there had been 224 new cases in the past 24 hours, 11 of whom were returned interstate travellers.
The figures take the total number of active cases in WA to 1,178, with two infected patients in hospital.
The news comes after WA Health revealed yesterday that it was co-managing two COVID positive cases in Jameson, a remote Aboriginal community east of Kalgoorlie.
The cases, both of whom are now in isolation, prompted the lockdown of the 50-person community as contact tracers sought to identify close contacts.
The latest surge in cases coincides with the reintroduction of public health measures in six regions, including Perth, Peel, the South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt and the Pilbara.
Those measures include capacity limits on home gatherings, private outdoor events and the reintroduction of the two-square-metre rule for hospitality and entertainment venues.
It also comes as the state government launched its new furloughing registration system for those deemed critical workers in a bid to prepare the state for a very high caseload environment.
Employers will be expected to register their critical workers, with isolation exemptions for asymptomatic workers to address potential workforce shortages and safeguard supply chains.
Industries deemed critical include transport, food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing, retail, petrol stations, agriculture, resources, construction, police and emergency services, schools, health care services and funeral services.
Meanwhile, the state's vaccination rate continues to climb, with more than 50,000 doses administered across the weekend in the wake of the border reopening announcement.
As of today, 57.3 per cent of Western Australians over the age of 16 have received a booster jab, with 95.6 per cent of those aged 12 and over now fully vaccinated.
