Some crew taken off virus-affected cargo ship and put in hotel quarantine
Some crew from the virus-infected cargo ship BBC California have been taken off the vessel while sick people remain on board.
Three healthy crew members from a coronavirus-infected cargo ship docked in Perth have been moved to hotel quarantine for their safety, but a fourth person remains on-board with the sick people.
West Australian health authorities said the fourth person was an engineer and had to remain on-board.
“The fourth crew member with a negative result will remain on-board because of a critical need for an engineer to be present on the vessel,” the WA Health Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Protective measures are in place – he will remain isolated in a cabin on a separate deck to everyone else and will use PPE when on deck and in the engine room.”
The BBC California arrived at Fremantle Port on Monday morning, with 10 out of 14 crew members subsequently testing positive for Covid-19.
Aside from the testing that was required onshore, the ill people have remained on-board and isolated.
Premier Mark McGowan flagged on Tuesday that the healthy crew might be taken to hotel quarantine.
“We don’t want to risk the health of the remaining healthy crew members and we need to ensure the ship has adequate crew to safely operate,” he said at the time.
The BBC California departed Egypt last month, then travelled to ports in Indonesia before reaching WA waters.
Crew members are believed to be from the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
Mr McGowan also revealed on Tuesday there were concerns about the vessel Mattina, which sailed from Indonesia, and was currently in New Zealand but had berthed in Fremantle between July 10 and 12.
Nine of the 21 crew on-board have tested positive for Covid-19.
There were 25 people in Fremantle who had some form of interaction with the vessel, but Mr McGowan said the risk to WA was low.
WA has 16 active cases — 10 linked to the BBC California, five in hotel quarantine and one man who remains in hospital in a stable condition.
He became ill on-board another ship – the Emerald Indah – and was taken off the vessel in Geraldton earlier this month.
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