Originally Posted by
Icarus2001
Of course if WA waits another month, they will get the same result.
If WA waits another three months, they will get the same result.
Actually if they wait another three months the result will be far worse. Another three months will be the start of May. The peak efficiency of the vaccinations of the elderly is in late March. Open up in 3 months and the wave will go well into winter, combined with an Influenza and RSV wave. It'll really make hospitals suffer and McGowan's poll numbers too.
The best result will be an opening before the middle of March. Anything after will be noticeably worse.
Omicron is however well established in the community. If they theoretically did not allow another person to cross the border again there's enough local cases that there'll be a massive wave when winter hits. And the elderly boosters will have really waned by then. It'd be a disaster.
That's basically what the CHO himself has written in the advice presented.
There's so much fear now that people who test positive will panic and flood EDs and 000 like in the east. All they can do is ensure there are sensible rules for health staff to ensure the workforce isn't depleted and they can triage and calm down the "worried well" as they are called.
Any rules for other workers will have an effect on the economy as a whole. As does media fearmongering.
The direction of the pandemic in WA is pretty much set now. I'd say the only question is if the current wave takes off exponentially to render the borders moot, or if they can hold out to at the absolute latest mid March.