Question On Notice No. 6221 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 16 June 2020 by Mr D.T. Redman
Question Directed to the: Minister for Health
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the Al Kuwait docking in Fremantle Port on 22 May 2020, and ask:
(a) When was Mr Paul Armstrong (WA Director of Communicable Disease Control)
first notified of the email sent by a federal department to the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC )
prior to the docking of the Al Kuwait at Fremantle port, the contents of
which referred to health issues on the vessel;
(b) What is the position title of the highest ranking person in PHEOC who
ultimately determines whether information in an email or a phonecall
should be escalated for reasons of COVID-19 response:
(i) Does the person in this position read all emails coming in on the generic email address;
(c) What is the position title of the highest ranking person in the Department of Health who read the email sent from a federal department
to the PHEOC up to the point where the issue was raised with authorities
by Keith McCorriston;
(d) At what point were WA authorities aware that the crew of the Al Kuwait
were not leaving the vessel following docking on 22 May 2020; and
(e) Have any vessels entering WA Ports been refused rights to birth on the
based upon a WA decision to reject it on the basis of health risk:
(i) If so, on which occasions and what were the circumstances?
Answered on 11 August 2020
I am advised:
(a) Dr Paul Armstrong was first notified of the email on 25 May 2020.
(b) Senior Medical Advisor.
(i) No.
(c) The Department of Health is unable to confirm the specific time the email was read, or by whom. On 22 May, the PHEOC Operations Team comprised persons working in the following roles: Senior Medical Advisor, Medical Registrar, and Senior Policy and Planning Officer.
(d) 22 May 2020.
(e) No.
(i) Not applicable.