Hantavirus Cruise Ship Travellers to be Quarantined in Perth

Topic: Public Health

A quarantine facility in Bullsbrook is one of three Centres for National Resilience built during COVID.

Six cruise ship passengers are being taken to the 500-bed Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook, near Perth.

The quarantine facility will be used for its intended purpose after being largely unused since its completion in 2022.

The MV Hondius cruise ship had a hantavirus outbreak, which is a rodent-borne illness that can be fatal.

A Dutch passenger died on the ship, and his wife died later after getting off the ship.

The MV Hondius is currently docked in Tenerife.

Another passenger was taken to a hospital in South Africa for medical treatment.

A German passenger also died on the ship.

Six passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship are expected to arrive in Perth after a flight from the Canary Islands.

The six people, including four Australians, will be flown to RAAF Pearce in Perth before being taken to the quarantine facility.

The flight arrived in the Netherlands, where the passengers will be checked before continuing their journey to Australia.

Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands greeted the passengers briefly while they were in the Netherlands.

The passengers will be medically checked while in the Netherlands and are expected to arrive at RAAF Pearce later this week.

The long flight distance makes it difficult for authorities to organize the transfer, which must follow strict health rules.

Medical staff will be on the flights to monitor the passengers, and the Health Minister said arrangements are still being made.

The facility's history

The Bullsbrook centre has only been used as emergency accommodation for bushfire evacuees since it was completed in 2022.

Construction of the Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook started at the end of 2021.

There were plans to turn the centre into a prison to help with overcrowding in the justice system.

Some organizations think the facility could be used to help people who are homeless.

The 500-bed facility could help with the housing shortage in Western Australia.

The Centre for National Resilience was built to safely house people returning home during the pandemic.

The three centres built around the country cost a combined $1.37 billion.

The WA government spent $13 million to maintain the facility for a year before handing it over to the federal government.

The centres have special ventilation systems and are designed for safe movement and food delivery.

The family rooms at the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience have materials that are easy to clean and disinfect.

Each unit has air-conditioning, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a microwave and fridge.

RAAF Pearce is the main air force base in Western Australia.

No symptoms

None of the travellers are showing symptoms of the virus and will be quarantined for at least three weeks.

The Department of Health said officials will wear protective equipment and follow strict procedures to limit exposure.

The Bullsbrook quarantine facility has a capacity of 500 beds.

WA's chief health officer said the rare illness poses no risk to the community due to the quarantine provisions.

Hantavirus is spread by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people.

'Not something like COVID'

The Health Minister said the passengers may be quarantined for more than three weeks due to the long incubation period.

The quarantine facility will be used for disease control for the first time.

The Australian Medical Association said the risk of the hantavirus spreading in WA is close to zero.

The Bullsbrook community is at no greater risk than anywhere else.

The virus does not transmit as readily as COVID.

WA's Health Minister said health and safety is paramount as they activate their resources and support the national response.

The Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook is a safe and appropriate facility for the returning travellers to quarantine.