Last updated:
Four Australian citizens, one permanent Australian resident, and one New Zealand citizen are on their way back to Australia.
Under strict health protocols, it is expected the passengers will transit through the Netherlands and continue their journey to Australia in coming days.
In-flight measures
To protect both passengers and crew, strict in-flight infection prevention and control procedures will be put in place, including:
- practising hand and respiratory hygiene
- wearing personal protective equipment, including well-fitting masks
- minimising face-to-face interaction
- minimising non-essential cabin movement.
Expert advice on the correct use of personal protective equipment has been provided.
Medical personnel will be on board the flight to monitor and support the passengers.
Transfer and quarantine measures
Multiple agencies across the Australian Government and state and territory governments have been working together to coordinate arrival, health, transport and quarantine arrangements.
After they land at RAAF Base Pearce, the passengers will be transferred to the nearby Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience for at least the first 3 weeks of their quarantine.
The full quarantine period will be 42 days (6 weeks) from the day they disembarked – arrangements for the remainder of quarantine period are being finalised.
The situation will be regularly reviewed.
During the quarantine period, health authorities will monitor passengers, including daily symptom checks.
Risk to Australians
Australia has strong public health, biosecurity and surveillance systems in place to protect the community.
The current risk of hantavirus infection to people in Australia remains low.
The Andes virus – the virus that is affecting the people who were on the cruise ship – is the only hantavirus that is known to transmit between people. Transmission of the Andes virus requires close, prolonged contact with someone who is unwell, such as living together.
Andes virus infection has been added as a listed human disease under the Biosecurity Act 2015. This means the Australian Government can implement national measures to stop its spread, if required, including requiring quarantine of the passengers.
We will continue to provide updates as circumstances change.
Learn more
Read more about hantavirus, and see the transcript from a press conference by Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler.