Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan has set 5 February 2022 as the date the state will reopen to fully vaccinated domestic and international travellers without the need to quarantine.
"Today, I can announce the WA will ease its hard border arrangements at 12.01am, Saturday the 5th of February," Mr McGowan said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
"This date is locked in, giving Western Australians and local businesses certainty and the ability to plan and be ready for the transition early next year," he said.
More than 80 per cent of Western Australians aged 12 or over are now fully vaccinated, and Mr McGowan has confirmed the state will reopen its border on 5 February even if it doesn't reach its ambitious vaccination target of 90 per cent or more.
The state first introduced the unprecedented hard borders with other states in April 2020, with entry and exit controls lasting more than 600 days.
Currently, Tasmania is the only state in Australia from where visitors are allowed to enter WA without quarantining.
But that will most likely change on Wednesday when Tasmania is expected to open its borders to other mainland jurisdictions such as Victoria and NSW.
Queensland, which reached its 80 per cent double-dose vaccination milestone last week, opened its borders to vaccinated travellers on Monday.
As a result, visitors from Queensland must now self-quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in WA.
The state first introduced the unprecedented hard border with other states in April 2020, with border controls lasting more than 600 days.
Mr McGowan told reporters the tough restrictions had enabled WA residents to live normal lives inside the state's borders.
"We followed a different model to the others and it's worked," he said.
Transitional restrictions will include a requirement to wear face masks in high-risk indoor settings, such as public transport, hospitals and aged-care facilities.
Proof of vaccination will be required to attend large events with crowds of more than 1,000 people as well nightclubs and the casino.
Entry to remote Indigenous communities will remain restricted and contact registers will still be used.
Should WA fail to reach its 90 per cent target before the borders reopen, further restrictions will be introduced which could include having to be vaccinated to go to pubs and restaurants.
Mr McGowan has not ruled out restricting travel between regions should vaccination rates be insufficient outside the metropolitan area.
State and federal leaders were briefed by the chief health officer about the Omicron variant at Friday's national cabinet meeting and told that while the new variant was more transmissible, it was likely to be less severe.
While the news is expected to bring joy to many, Emma Cochrane says her circumstances won't improve.
A British national who's been living in Perth since 2018 with husband Dylan on a skilled visa, Ms Cochrane hasn't seen her mother in the UK for 18 months and won't be able to see her any time soon.
"Because we're not permanent residents, [my mother] can't even come and visit us come the 5th of February," Ms Cochrane, who is now on a bridging visa, told SBS News.
Emma Cochrane with her husband, Dylan, and daughters Clara (left) and Isabel. Source: Supplied
"And we can't leave for fear that we won't be able to get back in because the federal government is not [yet] allowing bridging visa holders to come back into the country," she said.
"Every day is a struggle. I feel guilty because we made the choice to come to Australia and start a new life here," Ms Cochrane, who has two young daughters, Clara, 2, and Isabel, 4.
"The plan was always for my mum and for my husband's mum [to visit us frequently] and now they haven't been able to do that. It's been heartbreaking."
Additional reporting by AAP
