Commentary The Premier of Western Australia (WA), Mark McGowan, has reneged on his promise to re-open the state borders to the rest of Australia (and the world) on Feb. 5. To justify the continuation of his policy of closed borders, McGowan has expressed concern over the Omicron COVID-19 variant. “Unfortunately, the world changed in December; Omicron arrived. Omicron is a whole new ball game. We can’t just shut our eyes and hope that it is different,” he said. However, the WA border closure and restrictions diverge from relevant developments elsewhere in Australia and the world. Indeed, an increasing number of European countries are rescinding COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine passports and mask mandates. In the United Kingdom, from Jan. 27, people will no longer have to wear a mask in public or provide proof of vaccination. A Pfizer Board Member, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, has also advocated a return to normality because infection rates are …