FIFO workers declared essential despite WA's COVID shutdown, can travel but asked to stay put

The resources sector says it is working to ensure essential operations can continue during Western Australia's coronavirus lockdown, but is taking a conservative approach and will limit FIFO worker movement where possible. Key points: The WA Government declared the resources sector an essential service The resources sector on Monday said it had halted FIFO worker movements but it may change as more information comes to hand Thousands of FIFO workers travel to and from the regions affected by the lockdown each week Thousands of fly-in fly-out workers travel from the locked-down regions of metropolitan Perth, Peel, and the South West each week into the Pilbara to work in the multi-billion-dollar iron ore industry. Mr Carruthers said the industry would rely on existing "robust and sophisticated" safeguards to protect workers and the community, including how people are managed on-site and while transiting. Community confident about mine testing Shire of Ashburton chief executive Ken Donohoe said companies like Rio Tinto, which works closely with the shire, "have always had very strong testing regimes". "While mining workers have been deemed an essential service, we support the need to minimise travel and have cancelled today's flights as we await updates on the situation," she said in a statement.