Two coronavirus-infected evacuees from Howard Springs quarantine camp on way to home states

TWO of the Diamond Princess passengers evacuated to Darwin yesterday are on their way to their home states after testing positive for coronavirus

A 78-year-old Australian evacuee, who tested positive to coronavirus, and his wife are taken from the Howard Springs quarantine camp to a waiting ambulance. The couple are being flown to their home state of Western Australia. Picture: Glenn Campbell

• ABOUT 180 coronavirus cruise evacuees arrive at Howard Springs quarantine camp
• AUSTRALIAN evacuees arrive in Darwin from coronavirus-hit Japan cruise ship
• A LOOK inside the Howard Springs coronavirus quarantine facility

TWO of the Diamond Princess passengers evacuated to Darwin yesterday are on their way to their home states after testing positive for coronavirus. 

A 78-year-old man and his wife were this afternoon taken out of the Howard Springs quarantine camp in an ambulance, on their way to board a flight home to Perth.

A 24-year-old South Australian woman, who also tested positive in the quarantine facility, is expected to be flown to Adelaide this afternoon.

Health authorities believe she was travelling alone.

A 78 year old man, who tested positive to #coronavirus, and his wife have just been taken out of Howard’s Springs quarantine in an ambulance, on their way to board a flight home to Perth @TheNTNews pic.twitter.com/2M3nPJm5JO

— Natasha Emeck (@tashemeck) February 21, 2020

Six of the 164 Australians flown out of Japan spent last night in isolation at the Howard Springs workers camp while awaiting the results of testing for the virus. 

Those six passengers who exhibited cold-and-flu like symptoms are the only Darwin evacuees to be tested for coronavirus so far.

The two infected passengers remained in isolation at the camp today until they were able to be flown home.

Northern Territory acting chief health officer Dianne Stephens said the patients were not seriously ill.

“Those people remain well and are mildly ill with cold like symptoms,” she said.

“They do not necessarily need to be in the hospital system but more than likely will enter the hospital system in their home states while they manage the Covid-19 quarantine and procedures.”

A spokeswoman for the Good Shepherd Lutheran College — which borders the quarantine camp — said 19 students were absent from school on Friday because of the situation at the camp.

”We respect the decision of any parents who wish to keep their children home and classes continue to operate as usual at our Howard Springs campus,” she said

“The college remains satisfied that the health and welfare of the school community is in no way compromised and we continue to keep our school community updated with information as we receive it.”

Dr Stephens said there was no infection risk to other evacuees or to the Qantas and medical staff on board the flight from Japan to Darwin.

“All the Ausmat staff and all the Qantas staff were using appropriate (personal protective equipment),” she said. 

“If you are using appropriate PPE (personal protection equipment) you are not at risk of getting Covid-19 infection.”

The bus drivers, who were defence personnel, who drove the evacuees to Howard Springs will not be quarantined because they were equipped with the appropriate PPE.

The other four passengers who tested negative to coronavirus will be released from isolation today but will remain with the other evacuees at the Howard Springs camp for the remainder of the quarantine period.

A seventh passenger who developed a cough overnight is being kept in isolation and is expected to be tested for the virus today.

Dr Stephens said it was possible more passengers would be tested.

“We haven’t done our screening out at Howard Springs this morning yet so I expect after that screening we will have a number of people with symptoms,” she said.

“It’s not unusual after a period of time on a boat, in a plane, to have a cough or a cold. We are taking a very cautious approach. Anyone with any symptoms is being isolated and tested and that will continue on a daily basis.”

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NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said “strict protocols” meant there was no risk to the community.

“These people are in isolation. They have not come into contact with everyday Territorians,” she said.

Melbourne couple Adina and Les Morris were sitting a row behind the 78-year-old WA man during the flight to Darwin.

Australian evacuees arrive at the former Inpex workers’ camp in Howard Springs yesterday to spend two weeks in quarantine after leaving the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship moored in Japan. Picture: AAP/Helen Orr

“He was right in front of us on the plane, they took his temperature when we landed in Darwin and he was rushed away,” Mrs Morris said.

“His temperature was obviously much higher than they wanted it to be.

“I’m very worried because we all tested negative before getting on the plane, after being in quarantine for 14 days on the ship – how on earth did he get it?

“Who knows how many of us have it now.

“To say this holiday has been a nightmare would be an understatement.”

The couple said they are “disgusted” with how dirty and unkempt their rooms are at the Howard Springs quarantine facility.

“There’s dirt everywhere and the airconditioning and hot water isn’t working – it’s horrible,” Mrs Morris said.

Retiree Kimberley Vincent, who is in quarantine with her husband Ellis, described the camp as a “60s budget motel”.

“It could be worse. The TV goes out of commission when there’s a storm, which there is every afternoon and evening,” she said via email.

The smokers among the Diamond Princess evacuees have been given free durries, but the facility is sadly alcohol free.

“Excuse me! Doesn’t someone have their priorities wrong?! If you don’t have the virus, we’ll help you to get lung cancer,” Mrs Vincent said.

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More than 600 of the 3700 passengers who were aboard the Diamond Princess have contracted the virus and many showed no symptoms when they tested positive.

The evacuation to Darwin followed two gruelling weeks trapped aboard the cruise ship.