Most of the coronavirus patients who were infected on board a German cruise ship docked in Fremantle have arrived at Joondalup Health Campus after doctors and nurses won a fight over their treatment.
The number of COVID-19 cases from the Artania cruise ship has blown out to 41, with another 29 passengers and crew testing positive for the virus.
The new cases were confirmed last night, just over 24 hours after it was announced a further 46 people on the vessel were showing virus-type symptoms.
The 29 patients were transferred from the Artania to Joondalup Private Hospital in Perth's north on board two Transperth buses this morning, arriving around 11:00am.
They were wearing face masks and gloves, and were escorted into the facility by hospital staff in personal protective equipment.
The patients were initially due to be transferred to Hollywood and either Bethesda or the Mount private hospitals in Perth for treatment under a deal struck with the Federal Government.
But the arrangements prompted concerns that medical staff at those hospitals did not have adequate training or equipment to deal with them.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said doctors and nurses were "dumbfounded" by the plan to treat the Artania patients in the chosen hospitals.
Revised Federal Government arrangements led to the passengers and crew being sent instead to Joondalup, where staff are already treating a number of COVID-19 patients.
Joondalup 'well prepared' for Artania patients
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said a "humanitarian agreement" had been reached to transfer the latest Artania patients to Joondalup.
"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," he said.
"We thank the outstanding staff and team at Joondalup Health Campus and the State Government for their assistance in this humanitarian operation."
Joondalup Health Campus chief executive Kempton Cowan said it was important the private sector helped "on the front line in the fight against COVID-19".
"Our 145-bed private hospital facility co-located on Joondalup Health campus is well prepared and standing ready for these patients," he said.
"Our teams are ready with the appropriate training and strict infection controls and safety protocols in place."
The AMA and the Australian Nursing Federation welcomed the deal, with AMA WA president Andrew Miller saying Joondalup was an "appropriate facility" that could handle the cruise ship patients safely.
AMA criticism 'disappointing': Cook
WA Health Minister Roger Cook told ABC Radio Perth he was not impressed with the AMA's response to the initial private hospital plans for the Artania patients.
"I think it's disappointing that the doctors' organisation actively discouraged or encouraged doctors not to assist those patients," Mr Cook said.
"But that's OK, the Commonwealth was on top of the situation, they've come to a good arrangement with Joondalup Private Hospital."
Mr Cook said all hospitals across the state should be prepared to treat COVID-19 patients.
"I think it's just simply time to step up, we don't necessarily have a few weeks. We know that this virus is on our doorstep."
The Artania docked at Fremantle Port on Friday with 800 passengers and 500 crew on board after originally being told by the WA Government that it would not be allowed to do so.
Nine initial passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19 and were taken to Perth public hospitals for treatment.
Another three people were evacuated from the ship for emergency medical reasons and placed in intensive care, with the State Government confirming three more Artania COVID-19 cases earlier yesterday.
Any of the Artenia patients currently in public hospitals who are deemed well enough to be transferred will also be sent to Joondalup Health Campus.
Hundreds of Artania passengers flown home
The rest of the cruise ship's healthy passengers are on their way home after boarding chartered flights out of Perth overnight.
They were removed from the vessel yesterday afternoon and taken to Perth Airport on six Transperth buses to begin their journey back to Germany.
Four Condor charter flights arrived in the city in the afternoon to fly the passengers to the city of Frankfurt.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said yesterday the passengers and crew were the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government.
"Managing cruise ships has been extremely difficult, in fact its been a nightmare," he said.
"It's a diabolical situation dealing with these cruise ships."
There were 33 new coronavirus cases in the state yesterday, taking WA's total to 311, although that number does not factor in the 29 latest Artania cases.
Vasco da Gama passengers set for quarantine
The Artania is one of two cruise ships berthed at Fremantle, with Australians disembarking the Vasco da Gama set to be transferred off the vessel today to serve a two-week quarantine period.
About 200 West Australian passengers will be ferried to Rottnest Island after it was set up as a quarantine zone.
Once on Rottnest, about 20 kilometres west of Fremantle, they will be housed in the existing accommodation, which includes a hostel, bungalows, cabins and dormitories.
The holiday island was cleared of visitors last week in preparation for the WA passengers, with special arrangements also made for catering and security.
About 600 other Australians from the Vasco da Gama will be taken to Perth hotels to serve out their 14 days of quarantine.
Almost 100 New Zealand passengers were flown out overnight Saturday and arrived in Auckland yesterday.
