Mask mandate removed for WA tour buses

From Thursday July 7, people travelling and working in commercial leisure vehicles will no longer be required to wear masks.

Premier Mark McGowan said the government was doing "everything it can" to assist WA's hard-hit tourism sector.

"We continue our Omicron soft landing and, in line with other jurisdictions, can now safely remove the mask mandate for commercial recreational and tourist vehicles to further support the tourism sector," Mr McGowan said.

"Importantly, mask mandates continue on public transport and in health care and residential aged care settings to protect our most vulnerable."

WA Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said masks were no longer needed for tourism vehicles, given passengers spend time together without masks when they are off the buses.

"We know tour bus passengers already spend time together in close proximity without masks, for example inside restaurants or wineries, and the CHO has now advised mask wearing on tourist vehicles does not need to continue," said WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson.

"Masks are an important public health tool as they can limit the spread of respiratory conditions where people are mixing and unable to physically distance and we continue to use them in high-risk settings," she said.

"I'd like to thank all Western Australians for their cooperation throughout this outbreak.

"Together we have kept hospitalisations and ICU admission rates far down on what was predicted."