CORONAVIRUS — PORT PROTOCOLS
354. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Can the Premier outline to the house how many international trade ships have
been into our Western Australian–run ports since the COVID-19 crisis
began and whether any have had any COVID-19-positive cases on board?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
There would have been scores, if
not hundreds, of ships. One only has to go to Port Hedland harbour or to
Dampier to see 30 ships, maybe, sitting off the coast at any point in time.
Geraldton would be the same—maybe not to that scale, but a number—and
Albany, Esperance and Bunbury. The port of Fremantle would have had scores, if
not hundreds, of ships come through. Then there are the pleasure craft and
sometimes rather large yachts that come in that are scrutinised or watched. We
have had various reports about having to keep an eye on people on board those boats, and we have done that. In terms of
answering the member's initial question about how many ships have come
in, I cannot answer it specifically, except to say I expect that there would
have been hundreds. In terms of reports of people on board who have been
COVID-19-positive, to the best of my recollection, we have had reports of
people who have been unwell and have been dealt with. I do not recall, bar
today, and excluding cruise ships, any other cases that have been brought to my
attention.