Western Australia recorded just 3 fresh cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) as a plan to fly stranded travellers back home is currently in the works.
A couple of the new cases came home to WA with the virus from cruise vessels in the Mediterranean. An investigation is now underway into how the 3rd person acquired COVID-19.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said on Sunday, April 12, they continued to be hampered by people coming back from overseas. The government is looking at options to fly out around 650 passengers from CMV Vasco Da Gama who have completed their 2-week quarantine in Fremantle (Perth, Western Australia). Most travellers are from the eastern Australian states with a few from overseas. They finished their quarantine on Friday, April 10, and were moved to a Perth hotel until they fly back home.
WA state may have to work with Qantas in order to underwrite flights to get passengers home and Western Australians back in the state.
The Department of Communities and State Emergency Service volunteers are helping to repatriate over 2000 people who have or are close to finishing the quarantine periods.
Phoenix Reisen's Artania, which remains docked in Port Fremantle under the watch of the Australian Border Force, is expected to leave by April 18.
5 of the 7 cruise ships that had been off the WA coast have gone past Fremantle on their way north.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.