SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Australian defence personnel are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world's largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the major seafaring city of Manila.

Seventeen of the 21-crew members of the carrier have tested positive for the virus, ship owner Oldendorff Carriers said in a statement.

Ten of the infected crew have been moved to hotel quarantine while seven infected workers remain on board as part of a nine-person crew, authorities said.

Oldendorff said that the Manila crew change on Sept 5 complied with all protocols.

"All crew members tested negative for the virus before leaving the Philippines," Oldendorff said.

The ship, which was scheduled to collect manganese ore which is used in steel production, is anchored off Port Hedland on Australia's north-west coast.

The port is used by some of Australia's top iron ore miners, including BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group , but operations had not been impacted, the Pilbara Ports Authority said.

A spokesman for privately held manganese producer Consolidated Minerals, which had expected the vessel, said a new ship had been chartered and would arrive early next week.

The disruption would not impact annual shipments, it added.

Western Australia state contained the virus early in the pandemic by closing its international and domestic borders.

It now bars cruise ship arrivals but allows export carriers and limited international air arrivals.

"We are well prepared to manage the situation in Port Hedland, and every possible measure is being put in place to protect the local community," Western Australia premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Tuesday.

"We need to carefully manage this situation and those in hotel quarantine are being kept away from the public and under strict supervision."

Up to 10 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were expected to be deployed to Port Hedland after a request for assistance from the state government, an ADF spokesman said in a statement.

SECOND WAVE EASES

Australia's coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria on Tuesday (Sept 29) reported 10 new infections in the past 24 hours, turning around a second contagion wave that only last month was infecting over 700 people every day.

The country's second most populous state has paid a high price to contain the spread of the virus, placing nearly 5 million residents of its capital Melbourne under one of the world's most stringent lockdowns since early August.

The state, which accounts for the bulk of the country's over 27,000 infections, and 882 deaths, on Sunday lifted some of the restrictions, including nightly curfews.

A key indicator, the rolling 14-day average, fell to 18.2, tracking ahead of state government expectations, officials said.

"That continuous improvement will serve us well as we continue to open up," premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Tuesday. "This strategy is working (and) is delivering us those lower numbers."

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, reported two new infections on Tuesday, both returned travellers who were already quarantining in hotels. The state has not had any locally acquired cases in four days, officials said.