Queensland reports two new COVID-19 cases onboard
Two crew onboard a container ship off the Sunshine Coast of Queensland have tested coronavirus positive and will undergo genomic testing to determine whether they are infected with a strain in Australia that has never been identified before.
Minister of Health Steven Miles said that all 19 crew onboard the Sofrana Surville had now been screened.
The coronavirus alarm was raised on the ship after a New Zealander engineer tested positive for the virus on the weekend after working there on the vessel.
Instead of docking in Brisbane as scheduled, the ship was ordered to anchor off the coast of Mooloolaba.
Mr. Miles said Queensland was requested by the NZ Government to do genomic sequencing on the two crew members who have the virus in order to validate the information they have to provide and to provide some additional information.
"There's a meeting underway to determine if they will be evacuated to the mainland, and what hospital that will be," Mr. Miles said.
When they reach the mainland, the two new cases will not be included in Queensland's tally.
Ashley Bloomfield, NZ Health Director-General, said the country had 25 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, two of which were linked to the engineer.
Maritime Business World
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