Australians returning from a cruise afflicted by a rare and deadly virus will be required to quarantine for at least three weeks.
A government-supported charter flight will carry four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and a New Zealand citizen to Australia from Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, after their voyage was marred by a hantavirus outbreak.
The MV Hondius ship docked in Tenerife on Sunday after three people died and five others were confirmed to have tested positive for the virus, which is contracted through contact with infected rodents.
Three of those returning to Australia live in NSW and two in Queensland, but all will land at the Pearce RAAF base on the outskirts of Perth before completing their quarantine next door at the Centre for National Resilience at Bullsbrook.
Though hantavirus has an incubation period of 42 days, the group will initially be required to quarantine for three weeks.
The federal government would then seek advice from chief health officers about any further arrangements, Health Minister Mark Butler said on Monday.
“Our primary responsibility is to keep our community safe and healthy,” he said.
“We also have a responsibility to those passengers, to bring them home and to protect them from any risk – no matter how small – of potentially transmitting the virus without knowing it.
“I make no apology for the fact that this is one of the stronger responses you will see around the world.”
British passengers have been taken to a facility for assessments before those who are allowed to quarantine at home are forced to self-isolate for 45 days.
Americans were given the choice of staying in a Nebraska quarantine facility or going home, where they would be monitored.
Those flying to Australia are among the last to disembark, but none are displaying symptoms of the virus. They are likely to arrive in Perth on Tuesday.
Mr Butler acknowledged the hantavirus was potentially deadly but said it did not pose the same concerns as COVID-19.
“This virus is very, very rare and cases of human-to-human transmission historically have been rarer still,” he said.
“A coronavirus-based pandemic is a very different beast to deal with than this risk.”
Their quarantine arrangements were a national decision after discussions by the Australian Health Protection Committee, comprised of state and commonwealth chief medical officers.
The federal government has also consulted with the WA, Queensland and NSW governments.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said state health officials were preparing for the travellers’ arrival.
“The risk of transmission is relatively low at this stage, certainly not comparable to the coronavirus,” Mr Minns said on Monday.
Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington confirmed her state was ready to isolate the returnees and said reports from the ship had been distressing.
Medical personnel will be onboard the repatriation flight to monitor passengers throughout their journey home and secure transportation to quarantine facilities will be in place for their arrival.