Western Australia has recorded 9727 COVID case numbers overnight as the state eases back to ‘level one’ restrictions.

There are seven people in intensive care with the virus and 219 in hospital, while the deaths of three people with COVID occurred over the past two weeks were also reported, including a woman in her 40s, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the experience in WA so far showed unvaccinated people were 31 times more likely to need hospital care than those who had received some level of protection through at least one dose of a vaccine.

“It’s a pretty stark figure,” Mr McGowan said.

The Premier encouraged the community to take advantage of the easing of COVID restrictions from Thursday by supporting hospitality businesses who had borne the brunt of the pandemic restrictions.

Prominent Perth publican Tim McLernon told Gareth Parker on 6PR Breakfast that trade was not at the usual levels at this time of the year but Perth people had supported the industry as best as possible, particularly from Thursdays through to the weekend.

“Hospitality places in the city are working hard to create their own events, lots of sit-down cocktail lunches and all those sorts of things that at the moment people seem happy to go to,” he told Parker.

Press PLAY to hear more on the current state of WA’s hospitality industry.