Hundreds of cruise ship passengers are to be placed in coronavirus quarantine on an island home to one of Australia’s cutest marsupials – the fluffy quokka.
Some 800 Australians on board the Vasco de Gama will spend 14 days on Rottnest Island off the west coast.
They were due to arrive in Perth on Friday, but officials have effectively banned cruise ships from docking there.
This follows the Ruby Princess ujnloading 2,700 passengers in Sydney, more than 130 of whom have coronavirus.
The cheerful-looking quokka is a small marsupial native to a small corner of south-western Australia and considered endangered.
They are chiefly found on Rottnest Island where they have no predators, and regularly feature in selfies with sightseers – so much so there have been warnings too much attention could be a bad thing..
Rottnest is a holiday hotspot, also famous for its sandy beaches and clear blue water.
– bbc.co.uk
