Cruise passengers disembark in Fremantle despite swine flu fears

as posted here

Passengers from the $1 billion cruise liner Sun Princess are disembarking in Fremantle this morning, despite fears that a small number of passengers remain in isolation with suspected swine flu.

Seven passengers aboard the 2000-berth vessel were cleared of swine flu yesterday after swabs were flown to WA from Mauritius, the ship’s last port of call before Fremantle on its 46-night trip.

A spokesman for the Sun Princess said the isolated passengers would be transported off the superliner separately and then taken into custody of the WA Health Department.

All passengers will report to WA Health Communicable Disease Control officers before disembarking, who have set up inside the passenger terminal.

A Health Department spokeswoman said all passengers would have to fill out health declaration cards on arrival in line with national protocols before being let off the ship.

Five people were confirmed yesterday afternoon to have influenza A and two were cleared completely.

The Sun Princess docked in Fremantle port at 6am. The ship left Sydney on May 2 for an Indian Ocean cruise and is the first international cruise ship to arrive in Perth since the outbreak of the A/H1N1 virus.

The Sun Princess is the sister cruise ship of the Dawn Princess, which was forced to anchor offshore earlier this month in Queensland while authorities took the precaution of testing five passengers and a crew member for swine flu.

The health alert comes as the number of swine flu cases in WA hit 82 yesterday, after another seven people were diagnosed. They included a 16-year-old Wesley College student, a 14-year-old in Thornlie and a nine-year-old at Geraldton Primary School. Four adults were also confirmed as having A/H1N1, including one from Wesley College, as well as one each from Nedlands, Mullaloo and the East Kimberley.

PERTH
KATE TARALA,LEE RONDGANGER


as posted here