An 11th hour agreement has resulted in 29 passengers from the Artania cruise ship who have tested positive for COVID-19 being transferred to Joondalup Health Campus, after earlier proposals to shift them to Hollywood Private Hospital, the Mount Hospital and Bethesda Health Care were criticised.
The federal and state governments have reached an agreement with private health facility to care for the patients.
"This humanitarian hospital care will be provided in one of the state's premier facilities, which is fully prepared for and is already treating COVID-19 patients," Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement today.
Joondalup Health Campus chief executive Kempton Cowan said it was important that the private sector could assist patients such as these.
"Our teams are ready with the appropriate training and strict infection controls and safety protocols in place," he said.
“Our 145 bed private hospital facility co-located on Joondalup Health campus is well prepared and standing ready for these patients."
Australian Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller welcomed the immediate transfer of the cruise ship passengers under federal responsibility to Joondalup Health Campus.
“Joondalup Health Campus which we know is an appropriate facility, staffed by properly prepared personnel, who can safely handle these patients,” Dr Miller said.
He had previously strongly criticised proposals to transfer the patients to other hospitals, such as Hollywood and the Mount.
Both Joondalup and Hollywood are owned by ASX-listed Ramsay Health Care.
The 29 new cases bring the number of Artania cruise ship passengers who tested positive to the virus to 41.
The ship's other passengers have been flown home to Germany.
The care agreement comes as other Western Australian cruise ship travellers are set to arrive on Rottnest Island for a fortnight in quarantine as the state braces for further overseas arrivals.
About 200 passengers from the Vasco da Gama liner, which has moored in Fremantle, will be ferried to Rottnest today.
A further 600 Australians from other states and territories will be quarantined at the Duxton Hotel in Perth's CBD for two weeks before flying home.
The same arrangement will be in place for a Qatar Airways aircraft due to land in Perth on Monday carrying Australian passengers from Italian cruise liners.
About 270 Australians are on board the flight, including 120 Western Australians.
No passengers with coronavirus symptoms were allowed to board.
Three-quarters of WA's 311 confirmed coronavirus cases have either come from a flight or a cruise ship.
Non-Western Australians are currently allowed to travel to WA, providing they go into isolation for 14 days upon arrival.
But Premier Mark McGowan on Sunday said the state would consider implementing a hard border to control its coronavirus infection rate.
This would deny entry to anyone other than essential workers or returning WA residents.
