WA has a new pandemic playbook, and many elements have taken authorities by surprise

You can’t close state borders because Western Australia grows 95 per cent of the country’s capsicums — that was effectively a rule in the old pandemic playbook.

But Dr Paul Armstrong has written a new playbook.

WA Public Health’s deputy chief health officer has 25 years of experience working through various pandemics across the world.

Twenty years ago in a pandemic planning group, the epidemiologist was told state borders could never be closed due to capsicum sales and other trade.