WA's Phase Four coronavirus restrictions will be extended to at least October 24 and the Perth Royal Show has been cancelled.
Premier Mark McGowan announced this morning that the rolling two-week extensions of Phase Four restrictions had caused problems for businesses because they could not plan for the future.
He said the state government had decided to extend Phase Four for two months, until at least October 24, as a result.
Coincidentally, October 24 has been set as AFL grand final day and the extension creates doubt about the prospect of a 60,000-strong crowd being able to attend the event if it was held in Perth. Mr McGowan said the grand final was not "our main focus".
In announcing the cancellation of the Perth Royal Show, Mr McGowan said a decision to allow the show to go ahead had been made when WA was due to move to Phase Five restrictions on July 17. But advice given by the Chief Health Officer had seen that date repeatedly extended and there was now too much of a risk.
"I can understand many people were hoping and planning for Phase Five to be introduced sooner," he said.
He described the decision to cancel the show as "regrettable", but said the reappearance of the virus in New Zealand had provided a lesson to WA despite there being no community spread for 129 days. And advice from Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson that it would likely take another two months for Victoria to get the virus under control had also been take into account.
“I didn’t enjoy making this decision but the health advice was very, very clear that the risk was too great,” Mr McGowan said.
"... It is a serious risk and one WA does not need to take.”
The Royal Agricultural Society WA was informed of the decision this morning after the WA Government received updated advice about the risks posed by the Perth Royal Show from Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson.
Mr McGowan said the state government would work with the Royal Agricultural Society to ensure the event was viable in future years, but said it was not the right time to "push the envelope".
"It's the hard work of all Western Australians and the hard border that has allowed us to open up our economy more than any other state," he said.
