High seas Darwin boat arrivals being held in supervised isolation

HIGH seas travellers, who recently arrived and docked their boats in Darwin Harbour, have been taken into supervised quarantine

The Levanter sits in Fannie Bay in quarantine as the LNG Pioneer passes in the background. Picture: Che Chorley

HIGH seas travellers who recently arrived and docked their boats in Darwin Harbour have been taken into supervised quarantine.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said two people who arrived by boat were taken into supervised quarantine on Wednesday.

He did not reveal whether the travellers had come from an international port.

FREE subscription: Stay informed through the NT News

But the Commissioner assured Territorians that Australian Border Force and NT water police were working together to monitor all people arriving by boat.

“We have a multi-agency focus on that and it’s working quite well,” he said.

It comes after ABF authorities were recently seen boarding a 40m yacht at Stokes Hill Wharf, which is understood to have arrived unannounced, before handing the crew face masks.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said health authorities were also meeting vessels which come into the Darwin Harbour and screening the crews.

“For many weeks now Territorians have been meeting those vessels,” she said.

“We want to make sure that while we’re focused on our air borders we inadvertently weren’t letting coronavirus in via the ships.

“The NT is geographically a lot closer to Asia and to China, where the initial outbreak was, I think it’s only 11 days sailing time.”

A spokesman from the Department of Home Affairs said there were two commercial vessels in Darwin Harbour they had been made aware of as of Friday.

“Persons on board yachts are self-isolating on their yachts if they have not completed 14 days isolation at sea,” he said.

MORE NT CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Four more positive cases recorded in the NT

Mass of FIFO workers exempt from quarantine rules

Territory to be on lockdown for at least six months

“Crew on board commercial vessels are restricted on board while in port.

“Any health and biosecurity checks for both domestic and international vessels and flights are the responsibility for the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with state and territory health authorities.”