Health Minister Roger Cook flags Vega Dream crew quarantining onboard if COVID-19 outbreak is confirmed today

The coronavirus-stricken Vega Dream is a big, “modern vessel” that could allow crew members to isolate and quarantine onboard if an outbreak is confirmed today, according to Health Minister Roger Cook. The fully-laden iron ore carrier left Port Hedland Port yesterday evening but is currently anchored about 20 nautical miles offshore. One male crew member, whose age and nationality is yet to be released, tested positive for COVID-19 through a rapid bedside test on Sunday morning after he reported feeling unwell late Saturday. That sample, as well as swabs taken from the remaining 19 crew, have all been sent to Perth for more thorough laboratory analysis, with results expected today. Two Port Hedland Port workers, who Mr Cook this morning revealed as a pilot and surveyor, boarded the Vega Dream prior to the crew member falling ill. Yesterday evening, a Health Department spokeswoman said the workers did not come into contact with the infected crew member, were considered “low risk” and were not required to quarantine. But speaking with ABC Pilbara radio this morning, Mr Cook said both workers were isolating “pending the results of swabs that were taken from the rest of the crew”. The Health Minister said his “strong suspicion” was that the ill crew member, who is currently in an isolation ward at Hedland Health Campus in stable condition, would have his positive test confirmed. If the remainder of the crew is required to complete a period of quarantine — which is yet to be decided — Mr Cook said the size of the Vega Dream meant it might not be necessary for them to be removed from the ship. “My understanding is the Vega Dream is a very modern vessel,” he said. “Each of the crew members has their own cabin and their own toiletry facilities. “So there is a potential that there is very limited spread of the disease on board the vessel. “There's also potential that the crew members can further isolate from each other by remaining in their cabins to the extent that they can.” The Vega Dream, which was chartered by BHP, arrived at Port Hedland Port on Friday and took on a full load of iron ore Saturday, ahead of a scheduled departure back to China yesterday. It is the second bulk carrier in the space of a fortnight to have a crew member test positive for COVID-19, following in the wake of an outbreak on the Patricia Olderndorff which required the evacuation of the entire crew to quarantine at the Hedland Hotel. Like the Patricia Oldendorff, the Vega Dream — which travelled from Shanghai — took on crew in Manilla en route to Port Hedland. The Philippines employs a “two-tier” quarantine system that requires seafarers to isolate in hotels but allows officers to quarantine at their homes — a situation Mr Cook said required greater scrutiny. “This is the second of these sort of situations and it really does invite, I think, further analysis of what measures are in place in the Philippines,” he said. “We want to make sure that we don't continue to put our maritime crew and our facilities such as Port Hedland under pressure from the disease. “I think more stringent measures need to be put in place in the Philippines, to make sure the crew members who joined the vessel aren't positive for COVID-19.”