Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has called an unusual evening press conference to update the state on COVID-19.
The press conference called for 7:30pm marks the first time the Premier has addressed the state in the evening since announcing the end of a lockdown in April 2021.
It comes as pressure mounts on the WA government from the business and medical sector to share more detailed plans for the state's planned reopening to the rest of the country on February 5.
There was also considerable pressure from the opposition and others to release the Omicron modelling that has informed the government's decision to set the date.
When announcing the date in December, Mr McGowan said it was "locked in" barring "some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe which we can't predict".
The February date was based on when WA was expected to reach a 90 per cent COVID-19 vaccination target for West Australians above the age of 16.
Mr McGowan said the reopening would happen regardless of whether that target was reached.
The announcement of the date was made just two weeks after the first Australian cases of Omicron were confirmed.
The Australian Nursing Federation today called on the government to delay the opening of the border, saying the state was "not ready" for community spread of omicron.
WA has had a hard border with the rest of the country on and off since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
Travel into WA from every other state and territory had been considered an 'extreme' risk since last Thursday, essentially blocking all forms of incoming travel except for in exceptional circumstances.
An influx of arrivals into the state by air and road was expected upon the border being lifted on February 5.
'We are not ready': nurses union
The nursing union's state secretary Mark Olson pointed to the fallout of this week's COVID-19 case at Fiona Stanley Hospital emergency department as an example of the system not being prepared.
A dozen staff members were in isolation after coming into contact with a man infected with COVID-19 following confusion about isolation protocols.
"We are two years into the pandemic, we are two weeks away from the border opening and we still don't have clear guidelines coming from the health department," Mr Olson said.
"If this is what happens with just one COVID patient, just one COVID patient, what is going to happen when we open up the borders and we have hundreds if not thousands of new cases every day?
Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Association called for tougher restrictions, similar to those imposed in South Australia, such as capacity limits in venues and a ban on dancing, among other measures.
WA recorded five new cases of COVID-19 today, including one that has yet to be linked to any known cases and was infectious in the community.
The press conference will be held at Dumas House and streamed on the ABC Perth Facebook page as well as the ABC Radio Perth and the ABC television news channel.
The Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson will also attend with the Premier to make an 'important' announcement.
