Western Australian premier fears more Covid-19 cases after six test positive on live export ship in Fremantle
A Covid-19-infected live export ship was apparently cleared by a federal department to dock at Fremantle port, where local workers went on board.
The Al Kuwait arrived on Friday after sailing from the United Arab Emirates. Six of the 48 multinational crew on board have since tested positive to the virus.
On Tuesday, Western Australian police commissioner Chris Dawson said half a dozen Fremantle port workers went on to the ship and authorities knew who they were but he was not aware if they had been placed in quarantine.
The WA premier, Mark McGowan, said he had been advised the federal Department of Agriculture was told crew members had a fever but didn’t pass that information on to Fremantle Port Authority before the vessel berthed.
“I don’t want to point fingers at this point in time,” McGowan said on Tuesday. “We’re just trying to find out exactly what has gone on.
“Obviously we’re very concerned and to a degree, disappointed.”
He said the men who had tested positive were being quarantined at a Perth hotel while the remaining 42 were being kept on board.
They would be monitored and given health assessments as required.
“This is a fast-evolving situation.
“But I suspect it is probably more than likely that more crew members may become infected with the virus.”
McGowan said the state government wanted the ship to sail as soon as possible, but obviously needed to ensure the vessel was cleaned first.
“We’re working with the ship’s agents to get the ship to sail as soon as possible.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, faced several questions about the coronavirus outbreak on the ship during a
Senate select committee inquiry into Covid-19.
Murphy said he only learned about the outbreak during a meeting of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on Tuesday afternoon, and that he rushed straight from the meeting to the inquiry so had not had time to find out more.
However, he did acknowledge the Australian Border Force, and ultimately the commonwealth, was responsible for cases coming into Australia from ships.
“I don’t think it’s fair to comment on the circumstances of the Western Australian ship. I don’t know what that ship told agriculture, what they told Border Force … I really can’t comment without knowing the details.
“We [the commonwealth] have absolute responsibility, but we do not have public health officers on the ground and we delegate under a usually extremely effective partnership with the state and territory public health officers, whom I appointed as chief human biosecurity officers, so it is a partnership.
“I absolutely accept we need to look into what’s happened with this livestock vessel.”