THE Western Australian government has updated the protocols for vessels arriving at its ports, effective immediately, with tougher requirements for crew testing and vaccination increasing the risk of vessels being turned away.
Premier Mark McGowan said he reserves the right to deny any vessels entry to the state if COVID-19 is found onboard.
Mr McGowan said six ships currently en route to WA from Indonesia, a country with more than 500,000 active cases of COVID-19, could be turned back.
In recent weeks, a number of ships carrying COVID-positive sailors have travelled to WA, with 13 of the state’s 15 active cases of COVID-19 stemming from either the MV Darya Krishna or the BBC California, both of which are berthed in Fremantle Port.
Last month, the MV Emerald Indah was refused permission to berth at Perth after offloading a COVID-19 infected crew member at Geraldton. The bulk carrier was due to collect 50,000 tonnes of wheat for delivery to Indonesia.
The major changes include no crew changes at “higher risk” locations and no onshore crew visits at higher risk locations involving the disembarkation and re-embarkation of crew at that location.
The updated protocols also require maritime workers boarding the vessel at higher risk locations must wear appropriate PPE and PCR COVID-19 testing of any maritime workers boarding the vessel at the higher risk location will need to return a negative result.
Second daily rapid antigen COVID-19 testing will be conducted of the entire crew from the time of arrival at higher risk locations until just before entry into WA waters. Evidence of negative tests could be made a pre-condition of entering WA waters.
Additionally, all crew members disembarking in WA from a higher risk location must be vaccinated.
There is currently no official advice of what the higher risk locations or countries are, nor is there clarification on what happens if crew join a vessel in a low risk country but have come from a high risk country.
The government has been the target of criticism by some industry groups over its lack of consultation with key stakeholders.
WA Farmers CEO Trevor Whittington told Perth ratio station 6PR, “In the last 12 months there has been 26,179 arrivals into Australia, only 15 of those ships have had COVID”.
He said the rules could have a significant impact on WA’s trade relationship with Indonesia, and threaten the future of wheat and cattle exports.
“This is a highly sensitive relationship, I suspect the Premier wouldn’t be doing anything like this if it was China,” Mr Whittington said.
Other states have also been grappling with COVID onboard foreign ships. The Queensland government has been assisting ships with the latest being the bulk carrier MV Sanyu en route from the Philippines to Cape Flattery in far north Queensland.
Ten crew members have been relocated to COVID wards in hospitals in southeast Queensland with the rest remaining onboard for the moment. In total, 19 of the crew have tested positive for COVID.
