WA Premier admits 'errors all around',

His hissy fit yesterday makes him look stupid

WA Premier Mark McGowan admits the "full picture was not clear" when he claimed the state had been left in the dark about a coronavirus outbreak on board a live export ship.

Key points:

• The Al Kuwait was allowed to dock in Fremantle by federal authorities
• The WA Government claimed it was not told crew members were ill
• But an email has revealed WA Health officials were informed on Friday

Health authorities are scrambling to manage a COVID-19 outbreak on the Al Kuwait, currently docked in Fremantle, after six cases were confirmed among its crew.

Mr McGowan yesterday lashed out at the federal Agriculture Department and Australian Border Force, claiming they knew days in advance of the health issues but had kept the state in the dark.

The State Government moved to clarify those initial comments overnight, admitting there had been an email from the Agriculture Department to WA Health raising some of the issues on board.

Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap.

Today, Mr McGowan moved to explain yesterday's response.

"Clearly yesterday, I did not have the information that I have now," he said.

Mark McGowan says there needs to be better communication between state and federal agencies.(ABC News: James Carmody)

"There have clearly been some errors made all around. We can and must do better and we will.

"I am disappointed that the email from the federal department to the PHEOC [Public Health Emergency Operations Centre] on Friday did not raise red flags inside the Department of Health. In these times it plainly should have."

There are still 42 crew members on board the Al Kuwait, which was supposed to transport 56,000 West Australian sheep to the Middle East before the June 1 live export suspension.

More to come.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-27/coronavirus-live-export-ship-al-kuwait-errors-wa-premier-admits/12292060