"The year of the COVID pandemic and the COVID recession has tested us like we've never been tested in many generations."

Mr Morrison said WA had different circumstances to the rest of the nation, which is why the state had decided it would not join the aspiration to move to a nationally consistent approach to borders by December.

"They will continue to work with us. They have got their path set and we accept that," he said.

"The door always remains open. They are always able to join us at a subsequent time.

"In the absence of a vaccine we may have to live this way for years."

The Prime Minister said national cabinet had changed the way it made decisions to accommodate WA's disagreement with the national border policy.

It meant a consensus between every state and territory would not be required before the national cabinet signed off on decisions.

"I'm not going to hold Australia back when one or two jurisdictions, at this point in time because of their own circumstances, don't want to go along with the direction the rest of the country wants to go in," Mr Morrison said.

He said only the Premier of Western Australia could answer when the state's border would come down.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the state's hard border would stay in place until community transmission of COVID-19 was eliminated in the eastern states.

He said until such time, WA would continue to "stay safe as an island within an island", and border restrictions would allow the state to open up its internal economy.

"Western Australia has always avoided setting an arbitrary date on opening the borders," Mr McGowan said.

The state would set a date to open its border when the health advice said it was safe.

"Prematurely opening the state borders would risk both the national and state economy," he said.

"If we had an outbreak leading to the closure of the mining industry, it would have a devastating effect across the country.

"The hard border has worked. Lives and jobs had been saved at the same time."

Mr McGowan rebuffed claims WA had effectively seceded, saying West Australians were still proud Australians.

"But I do hope that it results in a greater appreciation of what we do for the nation," he said

"One tenth of the population produces 50 per cent of its exports. We're leading the nation, not bringing up the rear."

WA Opposition Leader Liza Harvey said the state had no community spread of coronavirus and it would be a "tragedy" if West Australian families were not able to get together at Christmas.

"But it all depends on the government’s health advice," she said.

"Protecting the health of all West Australians from COVID-19 is the priority. Unfortunately the government does not share its health advice with the opposition."

Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly detailed some of the details of the hotspot definition agreement, which has been signed up to by every state except WA.

"I can report from the AHPPC yesterday – eight out of eight jurisdictions agreed that hotspots are to be used by the Commonwealth in relation to what we may offer in support to various states that are experiencing hotspots," he said.

"That was agreed by all of the chief health officers and myself. But, of course, hotspots also guide what happens locally in states, and that's absolutely their prerogative to work with that."

Mr Morrison said the hotspot definition would be in use by Christmas, with the precise details to be decided.