Twenty of the 22 crew members of a cargo ship berthed at Fremantle port have tested positive to COVID-19.

They were tested on the dock next to the Ken Hou ship yesterday after it arrived in port, with more than half the crew reporting symptoms.

The last time the ship was in port was in Si Racha in Thailand on August 7.

Mr McGowan said it was still unclear what would happen with the crew, but the preference was to manage them on board.

"It all depends on health advice and the condition of the crew, whether they can isolate on board, whether they're well enough to run the ship's systems," he said.

It is the latest ship to come to WA carrying the virus, including the BBC California and MV Darya Krishna.

"We'll continue to manage it with the very safest of protocols we can put in place," the Premier said.

Police Commissioner now WA 'vaccine commander'

Meanwhile, the WA government has now appointed Police Commissioner Chris Dawson as the state's "vaccine commander".

It means Mr Dawson steps aside from his day-to-day police duties and will work with health officials as the state expands its COVID-19 vaccination program to all aged above 16.

"The basis of this is so we have someone in a position of authority who can pull in the resources of the state, even the private sector, from all over Western Australia combined with (WA) Health," Mr McGowan said.

Across WA, 27.8 per cent of the eligible population has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 46.5 per cent has received one dose, according to federal Department of Health figures.

"We need to get that up as quickly as we can, particularly in … Aboriginal communities, regional communities, some multicultural communities," Mr McGowan said.

"We need to work very hard to get as much vaccine as we can out there, and that will be the role of the Police Commissioner.

Mr Dawson will retain the role as the state emergency coordinator, and officially remains Police Commissioner.

He will not have special powers to mandate vaccinations for certain workforces.

That is a power which comes under the public health orders issued by the Chief Health Officer.

Currently, it is mandatory for people who work in hotel quarantine and the aged care workforce to be vaccinated.

Mr McGowan confirmed the government was looking at doing the same for health care workers, port workers and truck drivers and others involved in interstate transport.

Mr Dawson's position mirrors on a state level that of Lieutenant General John Frewen, who is the coordinator of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce.

More to come.

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