West Australians need to embrace wearing masks along with a raft of other "COVID-fit" precautions when the State’s border reopens next week, according to Australia Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller.
From commuters crammed on trains and buses to punters at large public events, Dr Miller said West Aussies should adopt masks in their daily lives like Asian nations such as South Korea, Taiwan and China.
WA opens quarantine-free travel to most States and territories from November 14 under a new "controlled interstate border" plans announced by Premier Mark McGowan on Friday.
Speaking to The West Live, Dr Miller said masks should especially be used when someone has a common cold or even hay fever.
"Our community needs to get ready — COVID-fit — for the occasional outbreak," he told podcast host Jenna Clarke.
"(Get) used to wearing masks on public transport. If you have any sign of a respiratory infection... obviously, get tested but if it's just a cold then by all means (wear a mask).
"I think it's a polite thing to do for other people, not to be coughing and spluttering on them.
"Even if you've got hayfever, it might make people feel less uncomfortable around you and that's going to hit us all pretty hard now.
"It's also just culturally getting used to the idea. Masks are one of the things that have set Asia apart. Masks as part of their culture has really helped them to carry on with life."
Even if you've got hayfever, it might make people feel less uncomfortable around you. - AMA WA president Andrew Miller
Dr Miller said people also had to learn to embrace "low-burden" pandemic precautions, such as QR code recording systems at venues, that could save stricter ones in a second wave.
"It's not that hard to scan your phone when you got into a pub or a club or a restaurant. I think that just needs to become part of our new normal life," he said.
"All these things have holes in them, just like hotel quarantine does with the overseas travellers. So, it's our responsibility to now be in a State where for the next couple of years — if that's how long it takes to get an effective vaccine or treatment — that we have tracking and tracing. (Also) things like registering when you go to crowded places, getting used to ventilating stagnate spaces.
"We would like to see more testing of people coming here. At the moment, we will be testing people from NSW and Victoria at day 11 of home quarantine — I don't see any reason why we couldn't ask anyone else coming into the State to also have a test on day 11."
"This is a lot more sustainable," he said.
"We could be living with this for more than a year to come, possibly a lot longer than that, so we have to get rid of the whole idea of exemptions and people having to convince the police officer that they have a good enough reason to visit. Just focus on the COVID, which is what it was all about in the first place."
