Six Cruise Ship Passengers Quarantined at Perth Facility Over Hantavirus Exposure

Six passengers from a cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak are being transported to the 500-bed Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook, approximately 40 kilometres north-east of Perth. The purpose-built quarantine facility, completed in 2022, has sat largely unused since then.

It will now be used for disease control for the first time since construction. The passengers include four Australians, one permanent resident and one New Zealander. The MV Hondius became the site of an outbreak last month. A Dutch passenger died on board on April 11, and his wife died days later after disembarking.

Another passenger was medically evacuated to South Africa, where they remain in hospital. A German passenger died on the ship on May 2. The vessel is currently docked at Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The six passengers will be flown to RAAF Pearce in Perth and then moved to the nearby quarantine facility.

Since completion in 2022, the Bullsbrook centre has been used only as emergency accommodation for bushfire evacuees. The WA government spent $13 million maintaining the facility for 12 months before its management was handed over to the federal Department of Finance.

The Centre for National Resilience was one of three such facilities built around the country at a combined cost of $1.37 billion. The buildings feature customised ventilation systems, covered verandahs, separated stairways, materials selected for easy cleaning and on-site health support infrastructure.

Each self-contained unit includes air-conditioning, a bathroom, television, internet and a small kitchen with a microwave and a fridge.