It seemed a relatively straightforward media appearance for the president at the AMA (WA) office. Sure, there had been a fair bit of hype about the imminent international arrival of passengers from the HV Hondius, the bedeviled cruise ship at the centre of an outbreak of hantavirus, the rodent-borne illness that had already claimed lives from the ship.
But at that point the assumption was that the six passengers arriving here were simply cruising on by, on their way to quarantine in other destinations. So, we were going to discuss what that might look like, how it affected the plane’s crew, and what part the Centre for National Resilience in Bullsbrook would play in their transition.
As the media conference, with a significant media throng in attendance, was about to begin, news was coming through: Federal Health Minister Mark Butler had just announced that rather than a whistle stop, the passengers would in fact serve out their quarantine here. In the blink of an eye, Perth was the centre of an international story that had percolated for weeks. And as the peak body for WA doctors, our president was suddenly the most trusted voice to explain the situation.
As it transpired, that authority extended to a national audience. Dr Hoath happened to be travelling interstate that week, and was able to make some appearances in person for national TV programs, ABC Radio National and the like. He proved adept at explaining the details in terms anyone listening to his explanations could easily digest.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it had strong vibes of the COVID-19 period, when local issues at times ballooned into national ones due to WA’s isolation. Of course, the Bullsbrook facility was constructed in the wake of that period, a seemingly strange afterthought considering all that had come before, and the endless concerns over adequate quarantine facilities.
While a purpose-built, 500-person facility might seem like, dare one say, overkill for housing these six individuals, there is something portentous about its use now, as various diseases raise their head in the community, some dormant for long periods of time.
Vaccine hesitancy is pronounced, and the AMA feels it best to at least have a foot in the door, with the ‘Have the Jab Chat’ campaign focused on giving GPs the chance to discuss the merits of vaccination with some skeptical patients.
Meanwhile, if you’re reading this, those passengers have likely completed their stay here and dispersed for their home destinations. We wish them good health. Cruise, anyone?
