Health Experts Call To Bring Back Masks As WA’s Covid Cases Explode

COVID cases across Western Australia have exploded with 17,033 new infections on Wednesday, a 37 per cent increase from the previous days record tally.

By comparison, NSW and Victoria which have sizeably larger populations, reported 12,265 and 13,973 cases respectively.

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The state's surge in cases means around one in every 40 West Australians are in isolation with Covid.

Premier Mark McGowan said of those about a third are under the age of 19, accounting for about 24,000 of the 68,893 active cases in the state.

With 275 in hospital, Mr McGowan highlighted the rate of unvaccinated people being admitted with Covid, makes up 27 per cent of hospital patients over the last two-weeks, even though they only make up about one per cent of WA's population.

The Australian Medical Association WA President Mark Duncan-Smith has called for masks to be reintroduced, among other restrictions when the state reaches more than 300 hospitalisations.

“What we’re seeing now is the direct effect of reducing restrictions when you’re on the plateau phase of the pandemic,” he said.

“We all know that restrictions flatten the curve, and when you reduce restrictions, that curve takes off again.”

- Dr Duncan-Smith

However, Mr McGowan on Tuesday said he was reluctant to bring back restrictions, including indoor mask mandates and capacity limits, “at this point time time”.

“Our hospitalisation and our intensive care numbers are way below what was modelled, so we’re reluctant to put in place additional restrictions at this point in time,” he said.

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