Western Australian Current Acts

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PUBLIC HEALTH ACT 2016 - SECT 157

157 .         Serious public health incident powers

        (1)         An authorised officer may do all or any of these —

            (a)         close any premises, or direct any person to close any premises;

            (b)         direct any person to enter, not to enter, or to leave any premises;

            (c)         direct any person to remain at any premises for any period specified by the officer;

            (d)         enter any premises and search for and seize anything for the purpose of investigating, preventing, controlling or abating the serious public health risk;

            (e)         require a person to provide information or answer questions for the purpose of investigating, preventing, controlling or abating the serious public health risk;

            (f)         enter and inspect any premises for the purpose of preventing, controlling or abating the serious public health risk;

            (g)         require any premises to be cleaned or disinfected for the purpose of preventing, controlling or abating the serious public health risk;

            (h)         require the destruction or disposal of anything for the purpose of preventing, controlling or abating the serious public health risk;

                  (i)         direct any person to remain quarantined from other persons for any period, and in any reasonable manner, specified by the officer;

            (j)         direct any person to undergo medical observation, medical examination or medical treatment or to be vaccinated, as specified by the officer;

            (k)         take, or direct another person to take, any action that the authorised officer considers is reasonably necessary to prevent, control or abate the serious public health risk.

        (2)         A power under subsection (1) to enter any premises may be exercised without a warrant or the consent of the occupier of the premises or, in the case of a vehicle, the owner of the vehicle.

        (3)         The period specified under subsection (1)(c) or (i) must not be more than 24 hours unless the Chief Health Officer has authorised a longer period to be specified in relation to the person.

        (4)         A direction under subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), (i), (j) or (k) may be given to a class of person or in respect of a class of premises.

        (5)         A direction under subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), (i) or (k) that is given to a class of person or in respect of a class of premises —

            (a)         need not be given directly to the persons to whom it applies; and

            (b)         despite the Interpretation Act 1984 section 41 (to the extent to which it applies), need not be published in the Gazette ; and

            (c)         must be published in the manner that the Minister considers suitable in the circumstances of the serious public health incident.

        [Section 157 amended: No. 33 of 2020 s. 6.]



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