WA to mandate a third dose, hard border introduced for NT and Tasmania

Workers in industries covered by vaccine mandates will be ordered to get their third jab within a month of becoming eligible, Premier Mark McGowan has announced.
Currently more than 260,000 people are able to get their third dose, but only 89,927 people have received their third dose.
It will make Western Australia the first state or territory to mandate a third dose of the vaccine.
“Everyone is strongly urged to receive a third dose when eligible, even if they’re not covered by this policy,” the Premier said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re trying to boost the number of Western Australians who will get their third dose because the health advice confirms the extra dose is far more effective against the Omicron strain compared to two doses.”
The Premier also announced a hard border would be introduced with Tasmania and the Northern Territory from 12:01am Sunday, December 26, leaving the state completely shut off from the rest of the country.
They will be reclassified from ‘low risk’ to ‘medium risk’ jurisdictions, meaning people looking to come to WA will need to be granted an exemption to do so.
The Premier confirmed that the reopening date of February 5 wasn’t going to change “barring a catastrophe” but said public health measures would likely be introduced.