Coronavirus-stricken ship that caused an outbreak scare in Western Australia sets sail for Indonesia – but now ANOTHER boat anchored off coast has a positive case

A COVID-stricken ship off the Western Australian coast has set sail amid a virus scare aboard another vessel.

Health Minister Roger Cook confirmed on Sunday that the Patricia Oldendorff was en route to Indonesia's coal loading port of Tanjung Bara.

The vessel, carrying 20 Filipino nationals and the captain, arrived from Manila on September 16 and was anchored eight nautical miles off Port Hedland.

Bulk oil carrier Vega Dream is now anchored off Port Hedland

One crew member from the Vega Dream has been taken to the Hedland Health Campus for treatment and isolation 

Eighteen of its crew members caught the virus but have now recovered.

WA Health said 12 of the recovered crew had returned to the vessel before setting sail, while three yet-to-be cleared colleagues were flown to Perth and now reside in hotel quarantine.

It comes as an unwell crew member aboard a Panama bulk oil carrier returned a weak positive test after coming ashore.

The Vega Dream anchored off Port Hedland on Friday after sailing from Shanghai via Manila, Mr Cook said.

Eighteen of the 21 crew of bulk carrier Patricia Oldendorff came down with covid-19. Twelve have recovered and rejoined the ship which has now sailed to Indonesia

It was taking on cargo on Saturday night when the man started to feel unwell.

He was taken to local hospital where he returned a weak positive result from initial fast-testing.

'His samples are now being flown to Perth so we'll be able to verify the results of that earlier test,' Mr Cook told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Cook was unsure how many crew members were on board but said no one else was suffering symptoms.

'We don't know at this stage if they collected extra crew at Manila,' he said.

'But it's been at sail for many weeks - I think over 16 days now.'

Health workers  helped the crew disembark virus-infected ship Patricia Oldendorff last month

Some of the infected crew from the bulk carrier Patricia Oldendorff were holed up in quarantine at the fenced off Hedland Hotel , sparking fears of an outbreak

He assured the WA public the ship posed no health risk and hoped it would set sail later on Sunday.

'Those oil carriers come to rest a good 12 metres from the dock,' Mr Cook said.

'We don't think there's any infection risk to any of the port workers or any of the community.'

There are no plans to send WA Health officials aboard the vessel to test other inhabitants until the crew member's initial test result is verified.

Mr Cook said the federal government had to make sure it works with its international partners to ensure 'we don't have these situations continuing to emerge'.

WA recorded two new cases on Sunday - a man and woman in hotel quarantine - as the state notched six months without any community transmission.

'It shows the measures we've used, including our hard border with the east, have worked,' Premier Mark McGowan said.