'Right thing to do': WA Premier Mark McGowan stands by border restrictions

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has told media today that while his decision to keep the border closed has been unpopular, he will not be pressured to make any changes.

Mr McGowan reaffirmed his strong stance, repeatedly stating that "saving lives and saving jobs is the right thing to do".

He hopes to increase the state's third vaccination rate, which currently sits at 53.3 per cent, before opening the border to people from other states.

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"Dropping the border at this point in time will just mean we infect hundreds or thousands of new cases into Western Australia, whilst our third dose vaccination rate is not high enough," Mr McGowan said.

He insisted keeping the border closed was the right decision, despite airline Jetstar cancelling more flights.

Mr McGowan says close to 30,000 people have come to WA in the last 10 days, noting that people who fit the criteria and subject themselves to the testing regime can come home.

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When asked about a potential reopening date, the premier said the information is subject to review during February and "once we get the outcome of that review, we'll be able to give you advice as to what the appropriate date is".

Mr McGowan was asked about a possible outbreak inside an unspecified prison but said only one case has been detected so far, with the infected person believed to be a guard.

"It is concerning, that's why we've mandated vaccines for guards," he said.

"We strongly encourage prisoners to get vaccinated, as best we can, and I'd urge prisoners if they're not vaccinated to make sure they make the effort to get vaccinated as soon as they can."

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WA recorded 115 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, bringing the state's total number of active cases to 444.

Around 95 per cent of people aged over 12 years have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.

WA currently has zero COVID-19 patients receiving care in hospital or intensive care units.