Carnival Corp’s troubled Ruby Princess cruise liner, the biggest single source of coronavirus infections in Australia, yesterday docked south of Sydney at Port Kembla to get help for sick crew members requiring urgent medical treatment.
The Ruby Princess, now the target of a criminal investigation led by the homicide squad in the state of New South Wales (NSW), has more than 1,000 crew still on board, after passengers disembarked in the middle of last month without health checks.
There have been at least 360 COVID-19 cases, including passengers and staff, associated with the vessel, which includes at least six deaths.
Photo: EPA-EFE
NSW police said in a statement that the vessel might remain in place for up to 10 days, but the crew would not disembark unless approved by state authorities.
Sick crew members were being treated on board or transferred to hospital, police said, and the vessel would be refueled in preparation for departure.
Australia has more than 5,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases and its death toll rose to 39 yesterday after four additional deaths were recorded overnight.
An investigation into Ruby Princess protocols would focus on communications and actions that led to the docking and disembarking of the ship’s 2,700 passengers on March 19 at Sydney Harbour to see whether biosecurity laws or state laws were broken, authorities said.
State health authorities had classed the ship as low risk, and the Australian Border Force issued a notice allowing the passengers to travel home freely.
They were required to self-isolate for 14 days.
A Carnival Australia spokesman said that the company would cooperate with the probe.
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