Western Australia becomes first Australian state to mandate COVID booster doses

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announced that it is mandated for workers in Western Australia to receive their booster shots, making it the first state in Australia to mandate the booster shots. He announced that workers who were previously needed to have two doses of the vaccine must now receive a booster shot within one month, as per the reports of ABC News. Western Australia also established harsh border restrictions with Tasmania and the Northern Territory, making entry into the state without an exemption illegal. On Boxing Day, which is on December 26, the new border rules will go into effect.

Premier McGowan also stated that people who had been to Tasmania and the Northern Territory from Western Australia should return right away, according to ABC News. McGowan further said that the booster mandate and border restrictions are because of the growing concerns of the Omicron variant. Western Australia's borders would reopen on February 5.

COVID vaccines are considerably more effective against Omicron

The health officials claim that three doses of COVID vaccines are considerably more effective against Omicron than two doses, which is why workers in important industries in Western Australia such as health care, elderly care, quarantine, and mining industries would be obliged to get booster shots.

According to ABC News, the Premier stated that approximately one-third of West Australians who were eligible for the third vaccination had received it so far. He urged the general public to get the booster shots by saying that they need to start thinking about scheduling a third dose as soon as possible before Omicron arrives in their neighbourhood. 

New cases of COVID discovered in Western Australia

Meanwhile, McGowan also announced that four new instances of COVID-19 had been discovered in Western Australia. Two people had flown in from different parts of Africa and were being quarantined in a hotel. The other two were the couple that arrived in Perth on Sunday from Brisbane. It has yet to be determined whether the couple possesses the Omicron variant, according to Daily Mail. Western Australia's vaccination rate for the second dosage was 82.7%. Premier McGowan claims that approximately 91% of West Australians aged 12 and up had got their first dose.