Ship with COVID passengers to dock in Tasmania

Michael Ramsey and Mibenge Nsenduluka
Nov 04, 2022, updated Nov 04, 2022

The Coral Princess will call into the port of Burnie in Tasmania after an outbreak of COVID-19. Photo: AAP

A cruise ship carrying passengers with COVID-19 is set to arrive in Tasmania following a disruption brought on by extreme weather across eastern states.

About 2000 passengers aboard Carnival Australia vessel Coral Princess will call into the port of Burnie on Saturday after an outbreak of the virus.

A spokesman said a “small number” of guests have been impacted but could not confirm the exact number.

“As a result of continued and proactive testing, the COVID-19 situation onboard Coral Princess has improved considerably in recent days with a significant number of guests being released from isolation after returning a negative Rapid Antigen Test,” the company said in a statement on Friday.

The company added that all cases have been asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and that anyone who plans to go ashore must undertake a Rapid Antigen Test 24 hours prior to disembarking.

Saturday will mark the first major cruise ship to visit Burnie in nearly three years after the pandemic shut down borders in 2020.

The cruise ship kicked off its 28-day around Australia itinerary in NSW on October 11 and arrived in Western Australia last week.

It was forced to skip a planned trip to Hobart due to severe weather and returns to Sydney on 8 November.

Meanwhile in WA, the COVID-19 state of emergency has come to an end as the country braces for a new wave of infections.

WA’s emergency powers expired overnight after more than two-and-a-half years.

They had been used by the McGowan government to take drastic measures earlier in the pandemic, including declaring border closures.

In a surprise move, the government has opted not to immediately enact replacement powers rushed through the Labor-controlled parliament last month.

The temporary declarations can be used to enforce mask-wearing and isolation requirements but do not allow for interstate travel bans.

Premier Mark McGowan has said the measures will only be activated when necessary but could be triggered by a spike in infections or the emergence of new variants.

“It’s there and available should we require it,” he told reporters this week.

Public hospitals will individually manage mask and visitor restrictions while still requiring staff and visitors to stay away when acutely unwell.

It comes as authorities warn of a fresh wave of infections as new variants spread across the nation.

“We are starting to see an increase of COVID-19 cases and changes in the variants circulating in NSW, which tells us we are entering the next COVID-19 wave,” NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.

“By looking at all the local information we have and what’s happening overseas we believe COVID cases will rise in the coming weeks.”

Dr Chant said several subvariants were circulating and while the BA.4 and BA.5 continued to be the most common, their dominance had diminished to 63 per cent.

There were 9707 people diagnosed in the week ending last Friday, an increase of 11.4 per cent on the previous week.

Tasmania’s public health director Mark Veitch also warned of a likely wave after weekly infections jumped by about 27 per cent.