In a Health Bulletin issued yesterday, October 19, the Health department said the Covid test results Key Integrity crew is expected to be released on today, Tuesday, October 20.
Key Integrity, which changed crew in Manila and left on October 6, arrived at Geraldton in Western Australia last Friday, October 16. Thirteen Filipino seafarers joined the vessel while in Manila.
One of its crewmembers, however, displayed flu-like symptom while underway. Immediately, he was swabbed by a nurse from WA Health department; the Filipino seafarer was confirmed Covid positive.
The bulk carrier was sent to Fremantle, “where it will be managed by authorities, along with the Unites Arab Emirates live export ship Al Messilah,” the WA Health said in a statement.
Also in its bulletin, WA Health disclosed that, of the remaining 51 crew on board livestock carrier Al Messilah, 24 turned positive for Covid after test results came yesterday morning. They remain on board.
Al Messilah is manned by 52 officers and crew, one had been tested positive for Covid earlier and is now under quarantine in a state-run hotel.
The Health bulletin did not mention the nationality of the crew of the livestock carrier, but similar to Gulf Livestock 1 that sank last month near Japan, many of them are most likely Filipinos.
