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Cruise Ship Artania docks in Fremantle and passengers transferred to hospitals for treatment Photos Bohdan Warchomij March 27, 2020

Posted by bohdan.warchomij in : Metaphor, Metaphor Images, Metaphor Online , trackback

A cruise ship carrying coronavirus-infected passengers off the coast of Perth has been allowed to dock due to a second medical emergency on board in the space of 24 hours.

The passengers on board are set to be flown to Germany on charter planes this weekend, with WA officials hopeful the maritime standoff has reached a resolution.

The WA Government had insisted the MV Artania could not come to shore, after spending two days anchored off the Fremantle coast due to seven passengers testing positive to COVID-19.

But their hand was forced overnight when one of the passengers suffered a life-threatening medical emergency, which authorities believe is not related to coronavirus.

St John Ambulance confirmed one person in a critical condition was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital just before 7:00pm yesterday.

He was the second person to be medically evacuated from the ship after requiring urgent medical assistance, after a man in his 70s was transferred off the vessel by boat yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday, Health Minister Roger Cook said the first patient — a man in his 70s — had a life-threatening condition that was not related to COVID-19 and he was not one

of the seven passengers on board the ship who tested positive.

“However, as a precaution he is being treated in a negative pressure room at Fiona Stanley Hospital to ensure we don’t take any unnecessary chances,” Mr Cook said.

Two Red Cross paramedics prepare for the patient handover Photo Bohdan Warchomij

Several ambulances remained parked on standby near the Fremantle passenger terminal this morning along with an Australian Border Force bus.

Passengers to be returned to Germany

The cruise ship operator, German-based Phoenix, has issued a statement saying specially chartered flights would take passengers from Perth to Frankfurt.

Passengers could only take one item of luggage and those who were not German permanent residents would need to have an onward journey from Frankfurt to their home country guaranteed.

“In order to be able to organise this, we are in contact with the respective embassies or consulates,” the statement said.

It remains unclear what will happen to the ship’s crew, while the coronavirus-infected passengers look set to be isolated and treated in WA.

The State Government has been adamant that should happen at a Commonwealth defence facility to ensure those patients are kept away from the public.

None of the 800 passengers or 500 crew on board are Australian, with the majority German, but many understood to be from Austria and Switzerland as well.

The company said passengers from Austria and Switzerland would also be allowed on the charter flights, as long as they had confirmed onward connections to their home countries.

The Vasco da Gama, a ship carrying 800 Australians that operates out of Fremantle, was due to dock today.

But the State Government has asked it to delay docking until Monday, so Rottnest Island can be prepared as a quarantine facility for the 200 West Australians aboard.

The Government said it was speaking to other states and territories about returning the 600 other Australian residents to their home states for a 14-day self-isolation period.

 

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