COVID in WA: State reports more than 10,000 daily cases for first time in the coronavirus pandemic

Mark McGowan is standing by his decision to remove most COVID restrictions after WA reported more than 10,000 daily cases for the first time.

WA Health said 10,182 cases were detected in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, breaking the previous daily record of 9782 infections set a day earlier.

It came less than a week after the indoor mask mandate was removed in most settings, gathering limits were scrapped and close contacts rules eased.

“At some point in time you have to remove restrictions because otherwise you keep them in for longer than than they were needed,” the Premier said, pointing to WA’s world-leading third dose vaccination rate, which is at almost 80 per cent.

“The most important thing to look at, of course, is the hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates and they are significantly less than what was predicted.”

Of the 46,664 active cases in WA, 271 were in hospital and nine patients required intensive care, down from 10 the previous day.

Since the start of the Omicron outbreak, a total of 44 people with COVID have required intensive care. The modelling forecast a total of 409-640 patients with COVID in ICU by this stage.

Six more deaths were announced, bringing the outbreak’s total to 148 -- which is more than the 129 deaths predicted over six months by the modelling.

“You’ve got to remember, sadly, the deaths include people who passed away with COVID, not necessarily from COVID,” Mr McGowan said, insisting that WA had achieved his promised “soft landing”.

“A lot of people will be admitted to hospital, they will pass away for whatever reason it is, but they they had COVID at the time they passed away -- not necessarily from COVID.

“It’s very difficult to determine with many people exactly why they passed away and for many people they passed away for other reasons.

“We know it was for other reasons, but they are recorded because they had COVID at the time they passed away.”