Six new COVID-19 cases confirmed on BHP cargo charter, ship from China via Phillippines

Six new COVID-19 cases confirmed on BHP cargo charter
Salomae Haselgrove October 13, 2020 https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/six-new-covid-19-cases-confirme...

Western Australian Health Minister Roger Cook has confirmed that another six Vega Dream crew members have tested positive for COVID-19.

This follows mining giant BHP, which charters the cargo ship, reporting that a crew member had tested positive after the ship arrived in Port Hedland on Saturday morning.

The crew member, a man in his 30’s, was transferred to the Hedland Health Campus and placed into isolation.

The remaining six cases are currently isolating on board the vessel, which has a total of 19 crew members and is laden with iron ore for export to China.

The ship had travelled to Port Hedland from China via the Philippines in late September.

“The crewman from the Vega Dream, a bulk iron ore carrier anchored off Port Hedland, has been in isolation at the Hedland Health Campus and will be transferred to a state quarantine hotel in Perth,” Cook stated.

“Of the remaining 19 crew members on board the Vega Dream, six have returned positive COVID-19 tests. The six confirmed cases are isolating on board the vessel.”

The Vega Dream is scheduled to arrive back in China on October 22.