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For some, the COVID border closure lingo is a thing of the past.
The last two years of the pandemic saw scrambling families dashing between unpredictable eastern borders, as states desperately tried to contain COVID outbreaks.
Nevertheless, with the safeguard of vaccinations, most eastern states adopted an open border response in December 2021 - finally allowing many Australians to reunite over Christmas.
But for those trying to get in and out of Western Australia, the picture looks very different.
Late last year, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced a February 5 reopening to interstate and international travellers, describing the date at the time as "locked in".
However, on Friday, Mr McGowan backpedaled on his decision, plunging thousands of families back into uncertainty.
The move comes as the state nears it's two year anniversary of closed borders.
The premier attributed the reversal to the low third-dose vaccination rates and the unpredictable nature of the Omicron variant.
"Unfortunately, the world changed in December," he said, "Omicron is a whole new ball game."
The premier said he now wanted booster rates to be above 80 percent - despite promising Australians last year that the 90 percent second dose vaccination rate would open the borders.
Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said the modelling suggested Omicron would peak at 60,000 cases per day if WA had lifted its restrictions and quarantine arrangements on 5 February as planned.
However, Australians desperate to get into the state believe the government has had adequate time to prepare the healthcare system.
"We have understood until now that WA has done what it has done to protect itself in a pre-vaccination era, we just can't understand why it is still ongoing," said doctor Natasha Pritchard.
Born and bred in WA, Dr Pritchard now resides in Bendigo with her husband Kerian and her two sons Noah (2) and Hamish (1), however her parents are still in her home state.
"My second son was born in 2020, he was growth restricted and preterm," she said.
"It was extremely hard with a husband working surgical hours to not just be able to have my parents fly over and help."
She says the distance has taken a significant toll on both her and her parents' mental health.
"People who aren't affected dismiss not being able to see family for years as an inconvenience - it's not," she said.
"I've never seen my parents so unwell, they keep questioning what value they have in their lives if they can't see their children or grandchildren."
Dr Pritchard said her parents have managed to easily get their third-dose vaccination.
"If others in WA haven't, it's often because they haven't felt the need" she told the Bendigo Advertiser, "and why would they, with no border opening plan in sight?"
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The West Australian announcement comes as other states continue to open up to international arrivals - from Sunday, international travellers will no longer need a PCR test on arrival into Australia, just a negative rapid antigen test 24 hours before their flight.
Dr Pritchard is among thousands of other Australian families, now once again stuck in limbo - merely hoping to be reuinted soon.
"I can't picture a time that WA will ever be 'ready' to open up," she said.
"And I wouldn't trust any future dates even if they were given."
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