41 passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on German cruise ship admitted in Australia

Over 800 passengers and the staff aboard the Artania cruise liner are being repatriated back home on chartered planes, while at least 41 others, who tested positive for COVID-19 disease, were admitted to Australian healthcare facility after medics argued over the treatment of the patients, confirmed an agency report. 

The Health officials had earlier announced to admit those infected to the Hollywood and Bethesda hospitals in the city of Perth. The paramedics, however, argued that the hospitals weren’t sufficiently equipped to cope with the influx of patients. Therefore, the Federal government later struck a deal with a private Joondalup Health Campus, which has also been testing a large number of patients. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement as of March 30, that the humanitarian hospital care will be made available to the confirmed cases of coronavirus in one of the state’s premier facilities.  

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200 on Vasco Da Gama quarantined

Western Australia state Premier, Mark McGowan, was quoted by a news agency as saying that 844 Artania passengers and crew are being flown on four chartered flights to their homes. He further added that at least 479 crew remained on the vessel and he expects the ship to leave the Western Australia port in over a few days' time. As many as 200 Australians, mostly residents of Western Australia, who were aboard a different vessel named Vasco da Gama that was docked off Perth were ferried to Rottnest Island to quarantine for 14 days on March 30, confirmed agency reports. 

According to agency reports, at least 3 crew members were evacuated overnight at Australia’s east coast, which has lately become the hotbed of the coronavirus cases. Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant of New South Wales was reported saying that the 3 evacuated tested positive to the novel coronavirus, and were not Australians. He said that the three were rescued out of a ship Ruby Princess, anchored off the Sydney coast. The Sydney police escorted the patients to the nearby hospital and arrangements were being made to contact back home. At least 300 people were confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 disease onboard the vessel. 

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(With AP inputs)