Two pilots and their crew will leave Australia on Saturday from RAAF Base Pearce after they escorted passengers from the Hantavirus-striken cruise ship to Perth on Friday.
The six passengers arrived in Perth’s north-east on Friday morning to begin three weeks of quarantine at a purpose-built COVID-era centre.
The four Australians, one permanent resident, and one New Zealander arrived at RAAF Pearce just after 11am WA time, and were soon whisked to the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, about a 15-minute drive away, under strict health protocols.
The pilots that brought them home to Australia spent the night with them at the same facility, isolating voluntarily but separately to the passengers.
On Saturday the pilots, who are not Australian citizens, will leave the country with the flight crew.
A Department of Health spokesman said they had complied with the infection prevention and control requirements, including use of personal protective equipment.
“Unlike the passengers, they were not subject to a human biosecurity control order,” he said.
“They are not required to self-isolate or quarantine. There is no public health indication for keeping them in Australia or in the resilience centre.
“They have not been in the Australian community since their arrival yesterday.”
WA Police escorted the pilots to RAAF Base Pearce.
The passengers were faring well, the spokesman said.
“Passengers are being provided with food and other items to support their stay at Bullsbrook,” he said.
“Passengers have settled into their accommodation. None of the passengers have displayed any signs of symptoms since arriving in Australia.”
They are the first to officially use the Bullsbrook Centre of Resilience after it was built during the COVID pandemic.
The 500-bed, $400 million quarantine facility took so long to complete it was never put to use.
The passengers will now be subject to a more detailed health assessment, including another PCR test for the hantavirus.
There has been no ongoing transmission of the virus detected anywhere in the world so far.
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