West Australia ship crew member’s negative COVID test: 20 Pinoy seafarers on board

WA ship crew member’s negative COVID test
AAP Newswire 4 Oct 2020 https://www.denipt.com.au/national/2020/10/04/1701542/wa-ship-crew-membe...

A crew member from a cargo ship docked at Fremantle Port has tested negative to COVID-19, West Australian authorities have confirmed.

The crew member aboard the Kota Legit vessel was tested after it emerged they had been unwell while the ship was at sea, WA Health said on Sunday.

"The crew member is not ill and no other crew members onboard the ship have been reported with illness," WA Health said.

"The ship can recommence activities and depart Fremantle to travel to its next port."

The ship arrived in Fremantle after a seven-day voyage from Port Klang in Malaysia. It's believed to have been in China and Singapore before that.

It comes as authorities continue to deal with an outbreak of 17 cases on the Patricia Oldendorff bulk carrier off Port Hedland.

The vessel, carrying 20 Filipino nationals and the captain, arrived from Manila on September 16 and is anchored eight nautical miles off WA's northwest coast.

Nine people remain on the ship as essential crew, seven of whom have tested positive.

There are also a dozen crew members in quarantine at the fenced-off Hedland Hotel and 10 of them have tested positive.

None are seriously unwell.

Authorities are confident the ship will set sail in the next week.

WA recorded no new cases on Sunday and has 17 active cases.