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The five Australians and one New Zealander who travelled on the hantavirus-hit cruise ship will remain quarantined at RAAF Base Pearce until early June, Health Minister Mark Butler says, as two additional reports of the condition emerge.
The group are staying in the Covid-era quarantine facility in Bullsbrook after being evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship earlier this month.
The ship had been exposed to hantavirus in an outbreak that killed three people.
Mr Butler told reporters in Canberra the six passengers would remain at Bullsbrook “under a quarantine order made under the Biosecurity Act”.
He said the order would stay for three weeks and come to a conclusion on June 5.
“I previously reported that World Health Organisation advice, and the advice of our own health officials, is that the incubation period for hantavirus can be up to 42 days,” he said.
“So World Health Organisation advice is that quarantine arrangements remain in place of some type or another for those 42 days.”
Mr Butler also revealed his thoughts on the two additional cases of hantavirus reported overseas, after a MV Hondius crew member and passenger tested positive in less than a week. He said it confirms the “risk of transmission of (hantavirus) after disembarkation has not passed”.
“Of the 13 cases now confirmed, there have been three deaths, indicating how serious this virus can be.”
The group of Australians – comprising three citizens and a permanent resident – along with the New Zealand citizen had no symptoms of hantavirus during the flight to Australia and through the initial health assessment at the RAAF base.
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