Perth and Peel restrictions set to ease as ship crew member tests positive for COVID-19
A bulk vessel crew member has been hospitalized in Perth after testing positive for coronavirus as Western Australia prepares to ease restrictions further.
The MV Emerald Indah docked in Geraldton, 420km north of Perth, overnight after the man became ill and “deteriorated quickly”, with bad weather preventing a helicopter evacuation.
Premier Mark McGowan says the man was taken to Geraldton Hospital and subsequently flown to Perth after returning a positive test.
“While this is less than ideal, we want to reinforce there is no current health risk to the Geraldton community,” Mr. McGowan told reporters on Monday.
Staff who treated the man in Geraldton had been fully vaccinated and wore protective equipment.
The MV Emerald Indah has set sail for Kwinana, south of Perth, but Mr. McGowan said he wanted the empty bulk carrier gone. “We are currently working with federal authorities to ensure the ship sails away immediately,” he said. The vessel is registered as flying under a Singaporean flag and has recently been in Indonesia.
None of the other 21 crew members are reported as being unwell.
With the man’s case set to be included in Tuesday’s official numbers, no local cases were detected overnight from 5,177 tests. It has paved the way for Perth and the Peel region to move to the second phase of transitional restrictions from 12:01 am on Tuesday.
Face masks won’t be required outdoors where physical distancing is possible, and hospitality venues will return to a two-square meter capacity and a limit of 150 patrons.
Notable venues, including Optus Stadium and RAC Arena, can operate at 50 percent capacity.
The restrictions will expire following Monday when Perth and Peel are slated to return to pre-lockdown life.
Mr. McGowan said it was encouraging no further cases had been linked to the northern suburbs cluster that plunged more than two million people into a four-day lockdown last week.
But he urged West Australians not to get complacent about getting tested.
“It’s telling that many of the cases in this cluster tested negative before eventually testing positive … they were already designated as close contacts, and that’s why we tested them multiple times,” he said.
“But for people in the community, even if you’ve already been tested once, don’t hesitate to get tested again, especially if your symptoms worsen.”
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA has estimated Perth’s third lockdown will cost WA businesses about $245 million in five months.
Details of a business support package will be unveiled later in the week.
Victoria is reclassified as a “shallow risk” state from Friday, removing quarantine requirements if there are no new cases this week.
Police are meanwhile continuing to hunt for a Tasmanian man who allegedly fled quarantine after being denied permission to enter WA.
Kyle Stephens traveled from Tasmania to Sydney while the city was on lockdown and Perth on Thursday.
He fled after being formally denied permission to enter the state and told to stay in hotel quarantine while waiting for a flight out, police said.
Authorities believe the 32-year-old may be traveling from Perth to the Geraldton area with another man.
WA recorded one new local case of COVID-19 on Sunday. The man is the partner of a previous case, a woman exposed to the virus at a gym in Perth’s north.
The man, aged in his 30s, has been isolated since 26 June and is not believed to pose any public health risk.
