Mark McGowan was forceful and blunt in his message.

"We as a country need to continue to operate and work," the WA Premier told State Parliament this week.

"If we do not, then there will be bedlam in our community."

The warning was directly addressed to WA's politicians, with the Premier telling them it was vital that Parliament continued to operate through the coronavirus crisis in a bid to "lead by example".

But, beyond that, the message to the broader community was obvious: Western Australia must remain open for business.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has insisted Government must continue through the COVID-19 crisis. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

"We cannot have government departments shut down, we cannot have essential services stop operating, we cannot have our schools and hospitals stop operating," he said.

"We cannot have everyone leave work in Western Australia."

In the Premier's eyes, mass school closures should be an absolute last resort.

Interstate borders need to stay open, without the quarantine restrictions implemented by Tasmania.

Residents should keep visiting local shops and restaurants.

State Parliament must continue to run to set an example to the community.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world

Staring down pressure to close schools

The growth in COVID-19 cases in WA, with the virus now having reached the "community spread" stage, has done little to weaken the Premier's resolve on those fronts.

WA COVID-19 snapshot Confirmed cases so far: 662

Confirmed cases so far: 662 Recovered: 650

Recovered: 650 Deaths: 9

Deaths: 9 Total tests: 395,402 Latest information from the WA Health Department





But to what extent WA actually can remain open during the coronavirus pandemic remains unclear.

One of the key questions for families centres around schools and McGowan, like other members of the national cabinet, has been steadfast in his message that those facilities needs to remain open.

The Premier is worried shutting schools will force scores of parents who are essential service providers out of the workforce and also put grandparents at risk, given they would be left to look after children in many cases.

But the pressure to either close or wind back schools has only grown this week.

A growing number of parents are choosing to keep children at home, the United Kingdom has shut its schools indefinitely and WA's State School Teachers Union has called for at-risk and older teachers to be granted immediate leave, while also expecting mass closures down the track.

And the Australian Medical Association (AMA), which has been extremely critical of the Government's handling of the situation, has said schools should begin winding down immediately.

"If you need to be at school that is fine, but for the ones that do not need to be there, let's transition them out of the schools now," AMA WA president Andrew Miller said.

Schools are far from the only lingering issue though.

Tourism, hospitality industries badly hit

The tourism sector is bracing for devastation, with the international market now completely shut off and Australians encouraged to avoid non-essential interstate travel.

The hospitality industry is also facing tremendous upheaval due to indoor gathering and social distancing rules, with many bars already forced to shut.

If examples in Europe and the United States are anything to go by, the impact on the sector so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

Many American states have closed bars and limited restaurants to takeaway service only, while all non-essential movement in California has been banned.

The disruption in WA extends far beyond schools, tourism and hospitality — with uncertainty or disruption being faced by everything from mining and small business to the sport and arts scenes.

Both the Government and business community accept that masses of job losses are on the horizon.

Rising pressure comes with rising cases

On the health side, WA authorities are expecting coronavirus case numbers to grow steadily to around 100 then increase sharply from there.

As infections rise, so too will the pressure to take even more dramatic steps.

Who should present to COVID-19 clinics? People who have EITHER a fever of 38 degrees Celsius OR acute respiratory infection

People who have Symptoms to look out for include fever, shortness of breath, cough or sore throat

Symptoms to look out for include or Patients who are tested should remain isolated at home until they receive their test results. Major clinics have been set up at Perth hospitals including Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner, Fiona Stanley, Joondalup, Armadale, Rockingham and St John of God Midland. They are open from 8:00am–8:00pm daily. In Southern WA a clinic is operating at Bunbury Health Campus from 10:00am–4:00pm daily. In Northern WA a clinic is operating at Broome Hospital from 8:30am–4:00pm daily. Outside these areas, people with symptoms should present to their local hospital. For more information go to the Health Department website.

Like the rest of the country, WA has already changed society in ways which seemed unimaginable just a few weeks ago.

Further dramatic alterations are seen as inevitable, but the Government is adamant society must continue as much as possible.

"Our community has to keep on functioning," McGowan said this week.

But, with further social restrictions expected amid growing health concerns and an economic situation set to dramatically worsen, keeping WA open for business is unlikely to be an easy task.