Western Australia eases COVID-19 and close contact isolation rules

Western Australia will move to its "high caseload settings" from tomorrow, changing the definition of COVID-19 isolation rules.

The state recorded 26 local cases of COVID-19 today, with 24 being linked to known outbreaks.

Premier Mark McGowan announced COVID-19 cases and close contacts will only need to isolate for a period of seven days.

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COVID-positive people and close contacts can be released from isolation after day seven, providing they do not have any symptoms.

Close contacts will now be defined as a household member or an intimate partner who had contact with a case; someone who had face-to-face contact with the positive case for 15 minutes where no masks were worn; or someone who spent more than two hours in a small room where a mask had been removed, as well as anyone else deemed to be due to specific circumstances determined by WA Health.

Isolation requirements for casual contacts have been scrapped.

Mr McGowan said the state had kept the virus at bay for several weeks, but the changes were necessary due to climbing infections.

"The road ahead is about to get very funky," he warned.

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"The reality is now with COVID spreading, Omicron spreading in Western Australia .. is that the road ahead is about to get very difficult.

"In many ways, the worst is still to come. We are going to get more cases."

The state will also double its international flight caps to 530 passengers, with overseas arrivals being able to leave quarantine after seven days.

It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today Australia would reopen its borders to all international travellers as of February 21.

Mr McGowan insisted he could not abolish quarantine for international arrivals.

"If we just opened the border, it would just result in thousands of cases seeding into Western Australia," he said.

Unvaccinated arrivals will need to go into 14 days of hotel quarantine.