Six of the 48 crew on board the Al Kuwait have tested positive for coronavirus so far after arriving at Fremantle Port on Friday.
The 27 crew members were evacuated from the vessel on Wednesday in a military-style operation, taken from Fremantle under police guard to a hotel in Perth where they will remain in quarantine for two weeks as a precaution.
Their coronavirus test results are likely to come back today with the Fiona Stanley Hospital on standby to receive any of the crew if needed.
The infected crew in hotel isolation were “not severely unwell”, federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said.
A further 15 crew remain on board the ship and are being monitored daily.
The International Transport Workers Federation wants all crew to be tested but the West Australian government said they will only be assessed if necessary.
A replacement crew could be sent from the United Arab Emirates to Western Australia to sail the ship back to the Middle East before the northern summer ban.
The 56,000 sheep that were on board the vessel have gone through quarantine are now being held in feedlots.
They are supposed to be headed for a slaughter house in the Middle East, with sending the sheep to local abattoirs considered a last resort.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the ship would not be able to return to the Middle East before the June 1 northern summer live export deadline, which was implemented last year after the Awassi Express mass sheep death scandal.
He said the “independent regulator” – his own department – may grant an exemption.
“As far as I know, they’re ready to sail,” Littleproud said on Wednesday.
“That can only happen after two things, firstly, there’s a deep clean of the boat, and crew are healthy enough to do that.”
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan wants the Al Kuwait to leave soon and said the state government is working with Littleproud on a solution.
“That may include flying in a new crew, subject to strict quarantine, cleaning the ship and getting it under way as soon as possible,” McGowan said.
The RSPCA said an exemption should not be granted under any circumstances.
“These sheep should be well cared for in the Australian feedlot while alternative local markets are found through West Australian abattoirs,” it said.
Contact tracing is under way for two port workers who are also in isolation, as they had been deemed close contacts.
Further monitoring continues on five other federal and state government workers who went aboard the vessel but some only had minor contact with the ship, West Australian Health Minister Roger Cook said, while all wore protective equipment.
With AAP
