A PLAN to ban overseas trips for all schools in Western Australia will be in place by tomorrow, according to Education Minister Sue Ellery.

Ms Ellery said a single plan applying to all WA schools had commenced and would be completed by close of business on Wednesday.

“The first element of that plan is on reducing exposure so effective from today, all international travel for students and staff is banned with the exception of travel to the US, Canada and New Zealand,” she said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Although those three countries may be reviewed at some point in the future.

“This is school-organised trips, this is not people’s private travel that families may choose to take their children on.”

Ms Ellery said the plan was being developed in a very methodical fashion to put in place all the elements required.

“In respect to the cost of the travel that may already been booked, I would ask families to contact their schools directly,” she said.

“We anticipate that insurance would cover costs of the students if costs have already been outlaid.”

Camera Icon Health Minister Roger Cook and Premier Mark McGowan. Photo: David Baylis Credit: Supplied / Supplied

Premier Mark McGowan said as a consequence of events in the recent weeks, a ‘whole of government’ response to a potential outbreak of coronavirus in WA was being developed.

“We are taking this very seriously, we need to be prepared but we need to remain calm and take a common sense approach to this issue,” he said.

“Across government, we are in the process of ensuring that only critical overseas travel by public servants is undertaken if it’s funded by the State.”

Mr McGowan said hospitals were preparing plans, including putting a hold on some upgrades to emergency departments to ensure there were no reductions in capacity.

Camera Icon Peel Health Campus. Credit: Supplied / Supplied

It included upgrades to the emergency department at Peel Health Campus, which Mr McGowan said had been deferred.

“What’s happened in this point in time is that the Peel Health Campus was due to start work right now,” he said.

“We’ve deferred that work until such time that we’ve passed this crisis but the work will happen.”

Health Minister Roger Cook has been appointed as the overall coordinator of the WA government response.

“There will be no aspect of government activity which will be unimpacted by the coronavirus and the emergence around the global pandemic,” Mr Cook said.

“As a result of that, it’s important that government now prepare its pandemic plans, updates those plans and ensure that they can be implemented as needed.”

More news

New virus cases test Australia’s readiness

Coronavirus a global health crisis: PM