WA has avoided a lockdown and instead brought in public health controls after the emergence of six COVID-19 cases in the past two days.
A French backpacker who travelled to WA from Queensland attended a party and nightclubs in Perth's premier night strip, Northbridge, on December 19 while infectious.
Five new cases linked to this person have emerged on Friday, and the government has tightened the rules as a result.
Here's everything you need to know about WA's emerging COVID situation.
Where do we have to wear masks?
Yesterday Premier Mark McGowan announced masks would be mandatory in all public indoor settings including workplaces, shopping centres, hospitality venues and public transport.
You don't have to wear your mask if you're doing vigorous exercise indoors.
The rule is in place until 6am on Tuesday, December 28.
The government recommends masks be worn outside if you can't physically distance (that's staying 1.5 metres or more away from others).
Can parties at private homes go ahead?
Private gatherings inside the home are allowed.
Mr McGowan said the government was trying to keep Christmas "as normal as possible for West Australians".
What events have been cancelled?
Music festivals are cancelled and nightclubs are closed.
Dancing is banned except at weddings.
The direction applies to the iconic Christmas eve party at the Left Bank in East Fremantle, which has been moved from Friday to the following Tuesday.
The casino is being allowed to stay open but mask rules apply.
What other rules apply?
After five new cases emerged on Friday, Mr McGowan announced further restrictions on licensed venues.
Pubs and bars can now only offer seated service. This will also continue until 6am on Tuesday, December 28.
What's a close contact vs casual contact?
The WA Health Department says a close contact is a person who has had face-to-face contact or shared a close space, for any amount of time, with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (while they were considered infectious).
It also includes a person who has been in an area where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19 infection or has been in a venue when COVID-19 transmission was occurring.
The department says a casual contact is someone who has been near a person with infectious COVID-19, but is at lower risk of contracting it.
Mr McGowan said on Thursday that if the department picked up cases in a particular area, people could be converted from casual to close contacts.
Where can I find a list of exposure sites?
The WA government will continue to update its list of exposures sites here.
Affected suburbs now include East Perth, Mirrabooka, Girrawheen, Perth, Northbridge, Edgewater, Wanneroo, Marangaroo, Subiaco and Scarborough.
Other exposure sites are also listed that are linked to two truck drivers who came in earlier this month, and tested positive after leaving the state.
Will we go into lockdown again?
Mr McGowan said today that a lockdown was not part of the government's plan in the lead-up to February 5.
On Thursday, he said vaccination levels were high enough for lockdowns not to be required.
"In terms of a lockdown for Perth, Peel or the South West, no, that's not part of our planning," he said.
"But if we do have an outbreak before February 5, obviously we put in place public health social measures … it may well be mask wearing, restrictions on venues, measures around the unvaxxed whereby they can't go to certain places. .. those sorts of things are all on the table."
What's happening with the border?
Mr McGowan today flagged the WA border reopening date of February 5 could be reviewed, saying broad community spread of the virus in WA might make that date "redundant".
He the date may be brought forward if there was community spread.
Mr McGowan said WA was in a "holding pattern" for the next few days while authorities conducted more testing and developed a better understanding of the level of community transmission.
Why are unvaccinated backpackers flying into WA?
The backpacker arrived on December 12, one day before WA tightened its border with Queensland.
From February 5 only double-vaccinated domestic travellers can enter WA.
Mr McGowan said the legal advice he received was he could not implement that rule any sooner.
