Cruise ship passengers quarantined on famous Aussie marsupial island

SYDNEY - An idyllic island off Australia's west coast, known for its adorable native inhabitants, will host passengers from a cruise ship forced to quarantine due to COVID-19 outbreak.

Australians who had been onboard the Vasco da Gama cruise liner arrived at Rottnest Island on Monday for two weeks of isolation, joining the local population of quokkas -- a smiling marsupial which became world famous for appearing in celebrity selfies.

In the past, thousands of visitors to the West Australian (WA) island, including tennis legend Roger Federer and Aussie superstar Chris Hemsworth, have snapped selfies with the quokkas and posted them online.

However, last week the white sandy beaches and rich nature-topped dunes were closed for tourists, allowing authorities to take advantage of the local accommodation options and establish a quarantine center.

"The intention is that we take people out there who are well, they isolate for 14 days and hopefully they come off at the end of that time and they can go back home," WA Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said.

Meanwhile, all crew and non-Australians would remain on the ship until arrangements could be made to fly them home.

WA has recorded over 300 cases of COVID-19, roughly three quarters of which have come directly off a flight or cruise ship.

On the other side of the country in Sydney, the fallout continued over a cruise ship which was allowed to dock and release passengers, over 100 of whom later tested positive for COVID-19 having spread the disease throughout the community.

"We have seen what has happened in Sydney Harbor, it was a complete and utter disaster," WA Premier Mark McGowan told reporters last week.

"I will not allow that to happen in WA, there are no circumstances where we will allow passengers or crew to wander the streets in our state."