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Ruby Princess passenger's allowed off of ship then just days later the passenger's testing Positive for Coronavirus.

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Ruby Princess passenger's allowed off of ship then just days later the passenger's testing Positive for Coronavirus.

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Police escort doctors to board the Ruby Princess cruise ship after a seventh passenger dies from coronavirus

Police escorted doctors to the Ruby Princess cruise ship off Sydney on Thursday

Seven passengers who were on the cruise ship have died from coronavirus

An 85-year-old man from Darling Downs, southern Queensland, died overnight

Police have escorted doctors to the Ruby Princess cruise ship after a seventh passenger died from coronavirus.

The Marine Area Command helped NSW Health and an independent medical team board the ship on Thursday. Police did not board the vessel.

There are more than 450 infections linked to cruise ships, including 340 cases from the Ruby Princess and 74 from the Ovation of the Seas.

An 85-year-old patient from Darling Downs, in regional southern Queensland, became the seventh Ruby Princess cruise passenger to die from COVID-19.

He died in Toowoomba Hospital overnight.

NSW Police said a 66-year-old crew member was also taken off the Ruby Princess for medical treatment on Thursday.

They have also assisted with the medical evacuations and transfers of Australian crew members stuck on several ships anchored off Sydney.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in NSW has reached 2,298, with 116 new cases announced on Thursday morning.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244

Victoria: 20,269

New South Wales: 4,273

Queensland: 1,161

Western Australia: 692

South Australia: 473

Tasmania: 230

Australian Capital Territory: 113

Northern Territory: 33

TOTAL CASES: 27,244

ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269

Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020

Source: Australian Government Department of Health

NSW Opposition Leader Jodi McKay told Seven News on Wednesday that there was a number of cases on the cruise ships but no one seemed to know who's responsibility it was to deal with it.

'Over 1000 crew are still on board. We must test every crew member with symptoms,' she posted on Facebook.

'My thoughts are with everyone caught up in this incredibly distressing situation.'

She said there has been no explanation on the matter.

Eight cruise ships have been locked in a stand off with the New South Wales government for nearly three weeks after refusing to leave Australian waters and go back to their country of origin.

Cruise companies Carnival Australia and Royal Caribbean International haven't budged after the Federal Government on March 16 banned cruise ships from docking at Australian ports to stop the spread of coronavirus.

They appealed against the order to ABF Commissioner Michael Outram, with a decision expected in the coming days.

The Pacific Explorer, Carnival Splendour, Ovation of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice and the highly-infected Ruby Princess remain off the coast of NSW.

There are between 800 and 1300 people stranded on board each ship.

Once crews have been treated, the federal government will increase pressure on foreign cruise companies to sail away from Australia rather than risk flooding NSW hospitals with COVID-19 patients.

In an attempt to end the stalemate, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said helicopters will be used to fly doctors on board.

'At first they will go on and they will do an assessment and the standard temperature check and ask questions around symptoms of the virus,' Mr Fuller told reporters on Thursday morning.

'If the crew is fit and healthy, I have no hesitation in asking Minister Dutton to enforce the orders for them to leave our shores.'

Anyone requiring urgent medical attention would be brought ashore.

All known Australian crew members have already been extracted.

Carnival Cruises, which operates the Ruby Princess, on Monday called on the government to adopt a humanitarian approach and enable the company to repatriate the foreign crew left onboard.

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Police escort doctors to board cruise ship after passenger dies

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Police escorted doctors to the Ruby Princess cruise ship off Sydney on Thursday Seven passengers who were on the cruise ship have died from coronavirus An 85-year-old man from Darling Downs, southern Queensland, died overnight Police have escorted doctors to the Ruby Princess cruise ship after a seventh passenger died from coronavirus.

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Ruby Princess passengers allowed off ship after Border Force mistook negative flu tests for coronavirus results

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Ruby Princess passengers allowed off ship after Border Force mistook negative flu tests for coronavirus results

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PASSENGERS FIGHT FOR ANSWERS AS RUBY PRINCESS CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL HITS

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PASSENGERS FIGHT FOR ANSWERS AS RUBY PRINCESS CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL HITS

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Graeme Lake celebrated his wife's 75th birthday aboard the Ruby Princess on its now infamous cruise back to Sydney last month.

They were among those ushered off the ship while 13 fellow passengers were being tested.

They travelled back to Murrumba Downs, Queensland, before both started to display signs of COVID-19.

Mrs Lake died in hospital 10 days after leaving the cruise ship. And now Mr Lake is angry.

"She didn't deserve it. She went on the cruise for her birthday so it's really devastating. Even now I'm still struggling," he told the ABC's 7.30 report.

"The cruise has ruined us. It broke me and it has broken the kids and grandkids."

Like many passengers, his biggest complaint is his claim that the couple were never told of the risks, and had no idea the virus was on board the ship.

Now he wants answers. And he is not alone.

Last night, the allegations spread to American and Canada, with the death of the Ruby Princess ' 20th victim - Steven Lazarus, 76, died on April 9 after developing COVID-19 symptoms on his return to the United States.

His wife, Elissa, also travelled on the cruise ship and tested positive, but has not shown symptoms. Now there are cases in Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

When Norwegian Cruise Lines' CEO Frank Del Rio was asked about the comeback of the cruise industry after coronavirus, he reminded his audience that the public's memory was roughly eight weeks after the peak of media headlines.

As a survivor of the 9/11 and SARS, Frank believed he knew what he was talking about.

But that was before the Ruby Princess - now set to be the epicentre of one of the longest running investigations in cruise ship history.

If anyone was hoping when she sails out of Port Kembla on Sunday her name will disappear from the headlines, they are very much mistaken.

There are three separate investigations: one by the police, who have appealed for every one of the ship's 2,654 passengers to come forward and give evidence, including those who left for overseas homes. The 1,100 crew come from 50 countries.

And today, they announced they would also be interviewing passengers from the previous journey, where it has been said some were already sick. That may well add considerably to the investigation's burden.

The police are expected to report in about five months.

Following that report, there may or may not be charges. The probe is being led by the homicide squad, so most believe any charges will be serious. So the trials of anyone accused will take weeks or months to go through the courts. Then there will be the appeals.

This week, a special commission led by Sydney silk Bret Walker was announced by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Mr Walker, who led the successful appeal by Cardinal George Pell, and who Lawyers Weekly magazine claims charges $25,000 a day, will work on the inquiry for four to five months.

Mr Walker is already suggesting a wider inquiry into the cruise industry.

He said his own investigations would focus on the procedures in play on the morning ruby Princess docked. "I think it's not a big assumption on my part that any protocol that produced this outcome urgently needs improvement," he told ABS's Radio National.

He added that it may be others would need to look "over a much more extended period whether that's an industry that could take some much more fundamental review on the way they conduct themselves".

He also said the way cruises are conducted now may not be consistent with today's social distancing.

"There may just be some contradictions in respect to what people pay their money for on a cruise ship and the kind of conduct which would be calculated to contain contagion."

Even after Mr Walker and the police have reported, here will almost certainly be inquests into the 20 deaths that resulted from the Ruby Princess outbreak.

And finally, there are the threats of litigation from passengers both in Australia and America. They could take years.

Shine Lawyers has commenced an investigation into a class action possibly alleging failure to protect the health and safety of passengers.

Shine Lawyers has told Lawyers Weekly hundreds of people have sent enquiries to the firm for a class action, including 19 overseas guests and some of the 700 passengers who tested positive to COVID-19 after the cruise, which left Sydney on March 8.

This week, Princess Cruises took out full page advertisements in the Australian press welcoming the inquiries.

The line's president Jan Swartz wrote: "It is painful for Princess to be in a situation of potential conflict with those we work with and respect," she said.

"We hope these inquiries will provide a basis for fair, open and positive discussions that will allow us all to learn more about this virus and re-build connections between all of us."

According to the ABC, the criminal investigation, which launched last week, has 220 leads.

Ms Swartz maintains that what happened as the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney was happening around the world.

"What happened on Ruby Princess reflected what was happening in the world. Even at the time the ship left Sydney, international flights were coming to Australia, the borders were still open and major sporting events were still being played to packed stadiums.

"This was an unprecedented global situation and everyone involved was no doubt making the best decisions they could at the time."

VOTE NOW

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Passengers fight for answers as Ruby Princess coronavirus death toll hits 20 - Cruise Passenger

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Graeme Lake celebrated his wife's 75th birthday aboard the Ruby Princess on its now infamous cruise back to Sydney last month. They were among those ushered off the ship while 13 fellow passengers were being tested. They travelled back to Murrumba Downs, Queensland, before both started to display signs of COVID-19.

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who even thinks to go on a cruise during a pandemic???

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Devastated husband slams Ruby Princess after wife's death

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Devastated husband slams Ruby Princess after wife's death

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More than 400 coronavirus cases – 10% of Australia’s total – are from Ruby Princess cruise ship

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More than 400 coronavirus cases – 10% of Australia’s total – are from Ruby Princess cruise ship

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Exclusive: At least 440 passengers from the liner have fallen ill since being allowed to disembark without checks in Sydney

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Coronavirus: How did Australia's Ruby Princess cruise debacle happen?

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Coronavirus: How did Australia's Ruby Princess cruise debacle happen?

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51999845

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Ruby Princess: New South Wales premier apologises over cruise ship outbreak

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Ruby Princess: New South Wales premier apologises over cruise ship outbreak

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Ruby Princess: New South Wales premier apologises over cruise ship outbreak

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State officials made "serious mistakes" in letting 2,650 ship passengers disembark, an inquiry found.

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Another Ruby Princess passenger dies in Tasmania

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Another Ruby Princess passenger dies in Tasmania

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Cruise ships dismantled for scrap metal as coronavirus pandemic sinks industry

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Cruise ships dismantled for scrap metal as coronavirus pandemic sinks industry

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'Suspicious' Ruby Princess death toll keeps climbing

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'Suspicious' Ruby Princess death toll keeps climbing

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The Ruby Princess police investigation has blown out and will now take six months, double the initial estimate to probe the riddled cruise.

NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller said the strike force investigating how the ship docked in Sydney, spilling 2700 passengers into the city, was amassing a huge volume of evidence.

A team of 30 detectives on Strike Force Bast had already received more than 200 phone calls, some with potential leads and important information, Comm. Fuller said.

"There is a chance we will need to interview every [crew] member and passenger on the ship," he said, explaining the expanding investigation.

The NSW police chief said he would be "happy" to release the findings of the investigation if no state coronial inquest was ordered to probe at least 18 deaths linked to the ship.
Do you know more? Did you travel on the Ruby Princess? Are you crew? Email msaunoko@nine.com.au
However, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there may be legal reasons that could block the release of the police report.

If that were the case, Ms Berejiklian said she would launch a commission of inquiry to investigate all relevant state and federal bodies and the cruise company.

"We all want to get to the bottom of this. All of us want to find out what went wrong," she said.

More than 700 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the cruise ship which docked in Sydney last month.

There are questions over the roles NSW Health and other state and federal government apparatus played as the Ruby Princess was welcomed into Sydney with open arms.

Police have spoken to the captain and other "crucial witnesses" on the ship.

Strike Force Bast will also seek to uncover if anyone on the ship had masked sickness of passengers on the ship before it docked.

Comm. Fuller said he was in daily briefings with NSW Health about the Ruby Princess, currently docked at a southern NSW port with more than 1000 crew on board.

NSW Health said 66 crew members have so far tested positive to coronavirus.

When the crew are deemed safe and healthy, Comm. Fuller said he would contact Australian Border Force and activate orders for the Ruby Princess to leave Australian waters.
Do you know more? Did you travel on the Ruby Princess? Are you crew? Email msaunoko@nine.com.au
Police expect the investigation to conclude in September.

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Mountain of evidence blows out Ruby Princess investigation

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The Ruby Princess police investigation has blown out and will now take six months, double the initial estimate to probe the riddled cruise. NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller said the strike force investigating how the ship docked in Sydney, spilling 2700 passengers into the city, was amassing a huge volume of evidence.

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Another Ruby Princess passenger dies from COVID-19

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Another Ruby Princess passenger dies from COVID-19

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How the coronavirus pandemic would look in Australia if Ruby Princess had never docked

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How the coronavirus pandemic would look in Australia if Ruby Princess had never docked

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The Ruby Princess, which has been responsible for hundreds of coronavirus infections and more than 20 deaths, will leave Australian waters today.

About one in 10 coronavirus cases throughout Australia are linked to the Ruby Princess

The ACT has the highest proportion of Ruby Princess cases overall

Tasmanian authorities are working to determine if Ruby Princess infections led to an outbreak of 114 cases

But how would the coronavirus pandemic look in Australia if the ship had never arrived?

Although the ship makes its long-awaited departure for the Philippines today, the consequences of it ever docking are irreversible.

As of Wednesday, about one in every 10 cases of coronavirus in Australia could be linked to the Ruby Princess.

LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

And of the 75 people who have died in Australia, 21 of those were connected to the ship's disastrous journey to New Zealand.

The ship's disembarkation at Circular Quay on March 19 sparked a public blame game between authorities.

The day before the ship docked, cases in NSW had tipped just over the 300 mark but the state had recorded a daily decrease in cases.

By March 20, there was a spike and the state's Health Minister told media he was "concerned" about the Ruby Princess and several passengers had already returned positive results.

Fast-forward more than a month and NSW recorded eight Ruby Princess passenger deaths and of the state's 2,971 coronavirus cases, almost 13 per cent were linked to the ship.

Tasmanian authorities said it was most likely a Ruby Princess passenger with a confirmed case of COVID-19 that led to an outbreak of 114 cases in the state's north west.

Two Ruby Princess passengers died at the North-West Regional Hospital and the 114 infections were spread between North-West and its associated private hospital.

A third Ruby Princess passenger also died in Hobart and there have been 19 other confirmed coronavirus cases linked to the Ruby Princess across Tasmania. Overall, infections from the cruise make up more than 10 per cent of the state's cases.

South Australia has the highest proportion of Ruby Princess-linked cases of any state at 20.3 per cent.

Two passengers, aged 74 and 62, died in Adelaide, 78 other passengers have tested positive and nine others have been recorded as secondary infections.

There would be 20.1 per cent fewer coronavirus cases in the ACT if it weren't for the Ruby Princess.

Eighteen people from the capital state were infected on board and three secondary infections have since been identified.

Your questions on coronavirus answered:

One of the seven people who have died in Western Australia was a Ruby Princess passenger and 53 other cases have been linked to the voyage, representing nearly 10 per cent of all cases.

In Queensland, three passengers have died and Ruby Princess infections make up around 8 per cent of all cases.

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In the top end, a Darwin couple was diagnosed with COVID-19 after returning from the cruise, representing 7 per cent of the state's cases.

Lastly, Victoria has the lowest proportion of infections from the ship by population ( 2 per cent) and has no passenger deaths.

But not all passengers were hopping from one state to another, others moved across the world to get home.

So far the ABC has traced at least 36 international cases of coronavirus to the Ruby Princess.

A police investigation and an inquiry are taking place as the Carnival Corporation insists the cruise ship followed all necessary protocols.

What the experts are saying about coronavirus:

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

The Virus

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If the Ruby Princess had never docked the COVID-19 pandemic would have looked like this

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The Ruby Princess, which has been responsible for hundreds of coronavirus infections and more than 20 deaths, will leave Australian waters today.

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A senior Australian Border Force (ABF) officer who allowed 2,700 people to disembark the Ruby Princess cruise ship mistakenly believed passengers displaying "flu-like symptoms" had tested negative to COVID-19, when they had instead tested negative for the common flu.

The ABF confused Ruby Princess passengers' flu tests for negative COVID-19 tests, documents reveal

Emails show officials only realised the mistake after all passengers had disembarked the Ruby Princess

The cruise ship has been linked to more than 660 infections and 21 deaths

The ABC can reveal that Border Force command only realised the mistake more than 30 hours after passengers - including 13 who had been isolated in their cabins with fever - had left the ship.

The new revelations challenge Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram's assertion in March that NSW Health was responsible for allowing passengers to disembark.

Indeed, the Federal Government has conceded in correspondence to the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the Ruby Princess that "practical" permission had been given for passengers to disembark, even if it had not been formally granted.

The Ruby Princess COVID-19 cluster resulted in at least 662 infections and 21 deaths, the single biggest arrival of coronavirus on Australian shores.

But when the Carnival Cruises ship docked at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal at 2:29am on March 19, NSW Health had already decided it would not attend dockside.

The day before, a NSW Health panel had rated the ship as "low risk" - a decision that has been the subject of vigorous cross-examination during the Special Commission of Inquiry.

But at 5:59am on March 19, a senior officer with the Australian Border Force, Officer O, who the ABC has chosen not to name, was tasked by his supervisor to investigate ill passengers on the Ruby Princess.

Read our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

About the same time, a biosecurity officer with the Department of Agriculture spoke to the port agent of Carnival Cruises on the gangway of the Ruby Princess.

Agriculture's biosecurity officer was told some passengers had been tested for influenza and that 11 were in isolation.

Two seriously ill passengers had already been evacuated three hours before to a waiting ambulance - they were later found to be COVID-19 positive.

Officer O arrived at the ship about 6:15am, along with two ABF colleagues, one of whom recalled being told COVID-19 testing had been done on board.

The confusion as to whether passengers had been tested for coronavirus or the common flu was not restricted to these initial moments of investigation.

Landing orders for the Ruby Princess noted that there were orders for the testing of swabs from 13 passengers.

Officer O told the ship's purser, the person responsible for administration of the ship, to keep the 11 remaining passengers isolated in their cabins until all the other passengers had been processed.

"At the conclusion of ABF's customs and immigration checks, someone from the Ruby Princess crew asked whether the vessel had clearance to disembark and [Officer O] responded 'yes'," the Commonwealth's submission to the Commission of Inquiry says.

Agriculture's biosecurity officer did not recall being asked for clearance to disembark passengers or baggage, or ABF being asked for clearance, according to the Commonwealth's submission.

But the shipping company's port agent told the commission that clearance came from the ABF and Agriculture.

In any case, the Federal Government later conceded in a "voluntary statement" to the commission, tabled July 16, that clearance to disembark - "pratique" as it's known - was granted, albeit informally.

"Although pratique appears not to have been formally granted before disembarkation, clearly passengers were permitted to disembark in advance of that occurring and no biosecurity officers sought to prevent passengers from disembarking," the Commonwealth's statement said.

"In that sense, there was a practical granting of pratique to allow passengers to depart."

Officer 'misinterpreted document'

Passengers began disembarking the ship between 6:30am and 7:00am.

Just after 8:30am, Officer O was told by the port agent that the test results for the isolated passengers had come back negative.

He asked her for the information in writing, which she did by email, attaching a document prepared by the ship's doctor, Ilse Von Watzdorf.

The file, titled "Lab form for coronavirus testing from a cruise ship", has a cross next to the "Tests required" field for COVID-19.

The final column on the form was headed "Rapid flu test result (if done)".

For all 13 passengers listed in the lab form, "A+B Negative" was noted in the final column, denoting that the passengers had tested negative to the flu.

In a submission to the Special Commission, the Commonwealth said Officer O "had misinterpreted this document".

He believed it showed all 13 passengers had tested negative to COVID-19.

Soon after receiving the email from Carnival's port agent, Officer O rang his supervisor and said words to the effect: "I've just sent you an email that I got from the agent. She said everything came back negative."

Officer O's email, copied to the ABF Inspector, said: "Advice received (see attached doctor's report) from Port Agent re swab tests from isolated pax on Ruby Princess. All tests returned back NEGATIVE."

By about 10:00am, all passengers had disembarked, including the 11 passengers who had previously been in isolation.

ABF command were not made aware of the mistake until the next day.

Border Force NSW Commander Danielle Yannopoulos was sent an email at 3:26pm on March 20 by an ABF Inspector detailing the "course of events for the Ruby Princess".

According to the email exchange, obtained under Freedom of Information, Commander Yannopoulos asked the Inspector about "some kind of testing" conducted on board the ship.

"Do you know whether that was for COVID-19?" Commander Yannopoulos asks.

"Covid-19 testing," came the reply from the Inspector five minutes later.

Commander Yannopoulos emailed straight back, seeking clarity: "So they all tested Negative...and now some are positive..."

Another quarter hour passed before the Inspector responded: "There was confusion in the test results", attaching the document Officer O had misinterpreted.

"Confusion? How so? It says negative..." the Commander replies.

The Inspector replies: "Negative to the flu!!!!"

On March 25, six days after the Ruby Princess arrived in Sydney, ABF Commissioner Outram held a press conference in Canberra to respond to "criticisms" of his officers.

"I had six officers board that ship. They did their job. I've got no information in front of me other than accusations about we didn't do something right," he told reporters.

"I've got no information in front of me, any factual information at all, that says my officers did not acquit their responsibilities under the Customs Act or the Immigration Act.

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"Or that they did not consult with officers of the Department of Agriculture, who provided us with information that the New South Wales Health Department had cleared this vessel for disembarkation."

He repeatedly said NSW Health had authorised the disembarkation of passengers.

"New South Wales Health stated to the Ruby Princess, and I quote again: 'You are free to disembark tomorrow,'" Commissioner Outram said.

"The decision to allow them off, in relation to the health and biosecurity issue, was one for New South Wales Health."

But Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally said it was now clear that Border Force made the decision to allow the passengers to disembark.

"We now have evidence, the smoking gun that it was the Australian Border Force that made the final decision for passengers to disembark the Ruby Princess," Senator Keneally said.

"These documents show that it was Federal Department of Agriculture officers that did not conduct the appropriate and required health checks to detect for COVID-19 on board the Ruby Princess.

"And these documents show quite tragically, that the Australian Border Force made a serious mistake when they mistook flu tests for COVID tests.

"This is a government that has prided itself on its ability to manage the borders. But in the middle of a global pandemic, they have failed to do the most basic health checks."

Border Force, in a statement, said it only had legislative responsibilities for the Customs and Migration Act.

"No ABF officer had authority to make biosecurity decisions in relation to the Ruby Princess," Border Force said.

"The ABF's responsibility also ensures that no-one enters Australia with contraband and all passengers and crew are either Australian citizens or have an appropriate visa.

"Any misinterpretation by ABF officers of test results did not make a difference as to whether passengers were cleared to disembark the Ruby Princess. Human health is not the responsibility of the ABF.

"The continuous criticism of the ABF's involvement in this matter at this time is unhelpful and distracting as agencies work together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia."

Department of Agriculture has been contacted for comment.

What you need to know about coronavirus:

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Sick Ruby Princess passengers allowed to disembark after ABF officer misread test results

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A senior Australian Border Force (ABF) officer who allowed 2,700 people to disembark the Ruby Princess cruise ship mistakenly believed passengers displaying "flu-like symptoms" had tested negative to COVID-19, when they had instead tested negative for the common flu.

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An inquiry into the Ruby Princess cruise ship has identified "serious", "inexcusable" and "inexplicable" mistakes by NSW Health.

The independent inquiry scrutinised the March disembarkation of the Ruby Princess

The findings slammed NSW Health for missing a spike in illness among passengers

At least 28 deaths and 662 coronavirus cases were linked to the Ruby Princess

Failings that led to one of Australia's largest coronavirus outbreaks have been laid bare, with the release of the final report from an inquiry into the ill-fated voyages of the cruise ship.

But the report from the special commission of inquiry makes few recommendations, saying health authorities had recognised mistakes made, and would "do things differently if they had their time again".

"It is inappropriate and unhelpful to make recommendations to experts that in truth amount to no more than 'do your job'," Commissioner Bret Walker SC said in his report.

The inquiry was established in April after thousands of passengers were allowed to leave the cruise liner at the conclusion of two separate voyages in March.

LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.

On both occasions, the ship, owned by company Princess Cruises, was docked in Sydney, and some passengers were at the time displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

In the weeks that followed, 663 of passengers tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia, and around the world, and 28 people died.

At the time, it was Australia's worst coronavirus cluster, an undesirable title it held for months until Melbourne's hotel quarantine debacle escalated.

The commission made several key findings, labelling some of what happened as "serious mistakes", and "inexcusable".

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak

"NSW Health should have ensured that cruise ships were aware of the change to the definition of a 'suspect case' for COVID-19 made on 10 March," the report said.

"This would have resulted in the identification of such cases on the Ruby Princess.

"NSW Health should also have ensured that such persons were isolated in cabins. These were serious mistakes," it said.

The report also said the risk rating system used by NSW Health, which saw the Ruby Princess classed as low risk, which meant no action was needed, was "inexplicable as it is unjustifiable" and "a serious mistake".

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"No evidence provided to this Commission, or given by witnesses in the public hearings, comes even reasonably close to satisfactorily explaining how a decision to 'do nothing' by means of precaution was adequate, or rational," the report said.

The report also criticises a directive to allow passengers to travel interstate and internationally, against public health orders.

It then takes aim at the NSW Government for not providing passengers accommodation.

"Under the terms of the Public Health Order, the State Government should have arranged suitable accommodation for all passengers who were not residents of the State," it said.

The report only makes overarching recommendations in one chapter regarding human biosecurity arrangements, asking the state and federal departments to become more familiar with each other's roles and responsibilities.

What you need to know about coronavirus:

In one section, Mr Walker explained why he made few recommendations.

"The mistakes and failures in decision-making here have, to a large extent, been recognised by the physicians of the Expert Panel, and by NSW Health more broadly," he said.

"They would do things differently if they had their time again.

"There are no 'systemic' failures to address.

"Put simply, despite the best efforts of all, some serious mistakes were made," he said.

The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she had just received the report.

"In the public interest, and for full transparency, I am releasing it immediately," she said.

"I will read it over the weekend and respond early next week."

Princess Cruises said in a statement that the report confirmed "none of our people ... misled public authorities involved in Ruby Princess being permitted to disembark guests."

A NSW Police investigation into the Ruby Princess is still ongoing.

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'As inexplicable as it is unjustifiable': Ruby Princess report slams NSW Health

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An inquiry into the Ruby Princess cruise ship has identified "serious", "inexcusable" and "inexplicable" mistakes by NSW Health.

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A passenger on the Ruby Princess has said a doctor on the ship took a swab from him and told him "you don't have coronavirus", despite the ship having no coronavirus testing capacity on board.

Paul Reid, an asthmatic man who later tested positive for Covid-19, told the New South Wales special inquiry into the cruise ship that he had gone to the ship's medical centre during the trip with a sore throat and a fever.

He told the inquiry that a male doctor had taken a swab from his nose and throat, put the swab "in a mixture", then "came back five minutes later and told me, 'You don't have coronavirus, you have the common cold.'"

Reid said he had been given the impression this meant he had been tested and "cleared of coronavirus", and he told other passengers, family and friends that he had tested negative.
Ruby Princess medical staff told ailing passenger who later died of coronavirus that 'it was only flu'
The ship's records show that Reid was not tested for coronavirus but rather for influenza A and B. He was negative for both. Earlier the inquiry heard that the ship's doctors had coronavirus swab kits but did not have the lab equipment to process the swabs and get results until they reached land.

On Monday the inquiry heard from another passenger, Josephine Roope, who said doctors had told her that her travelling companion, Lesley Bacon, "only [had] the flu", even though she had tested negative for influenza.

Bacon was taken off the ship in an ambulance on 19 March, was later diagnosed with Covid-19 and died.

On Tuesday, another passenger, Ann Kavanagh,said a waitress on the ship had sneezed in her face days before she became sick.

She said she "didn't associate anything with it" but had begun feeling sick while on her flight home to Perth, and was shivering on the plane.

Kavanagh later tested positive for coronavirus and was put in an induced coma for eight days.

Reid told the inquiry he hadn't been asked to self-isolate, and he had continued to go to the ship's buffet, though at a later time to avoid crowds.

When he arrived in Sydney on 19 March, he took an Uber home. "I told the Uber driver I had been tested and was sweet, so she had nothing to worry about," he said. He later developed further symptoms and tested positive.

Kavanagh, who said she had taken 14 previous cruises, also said the disembarkation had been done so quickly that it was unprecedented.

"We hadn't known anything like it," she said. "We got off the ship so quickly. There was no queuing, no passport control, nothing, we just got in a taxi, got to the airport ... very quick."

Reid and another passenger, Kristy McMahon, also told the inquiry that they tried to cancel their trips and obtain refunds before it began on 8 March, after seeing outbreaks of Covid-19 on other cruise ships on the news.

McMahon said she had been told that refunds would only be available for cruises beginning on 9 March, and that notice had to be given three days before the cruise began.

She had then received a second email that said cruises starting from 6 March could be refunded but there was not enough time to give three days' notice.

"We thought it would be a bit weird that they reviewed the date but it still said three days prior," she said.

She told the commissioner, Bret Walker SC, that if there had not been that three-day notice period she would have cancelled the cruise.

"I would have seen that as a sign that perhaps it was a good idea to cancel the cruise, if they were offering that," she said.
Topics

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Ruby Princess doctor took swab and 'cleared' passenger who later tested positive for Covid-19, inquiry told

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A passenger on the Ruby Princess has said a doctor on the ship took a swab from him and told him "you don't have coronavirus", despite the ship having no coronavirus testing capacity on board.

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A cruise ship graveyard is growing off the coast of Turkey as the multi-billion-dollar industry grapples with the impact of COVID-19.

Now, cruise lines are dumping unneeded ships off Turkey's east coast, where the luxury liners are stripped for spare parts and left to rust.

Tourism operators in Australia are hoping to get back out to sea soon, to avoid the same fate.

Cruises have returned to Europe, but with many safety measures.

MSC Cruises wouldn't confirm exact numbers, but the Grandiosa was operating at about 60 per cent of its 6300 passenger capacity.

Iconic Parisian sights deserted during new curfew

For the cruise industry, the stakes are incredibly high.

In the past decade, cruising experienced a major boom, with 30 million passengers in 2019, creating a demand for bigger, better, grander ships and a US$150 billion ($208.5 billion) industry that sustains 1.2 million jobs.

That exponential growth was already causing image problems amid concerns about over tourism and environmental impact.

The challenge now facing cruise operators around the world is how to recover safely and effectively while convincing travellers to return.

"We know that for every 1 per cent drop in cruising that occurs worldwide, up to 9100 jobs can be lost," Bari Golin-Blaugrund, a spokeswoman for industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), said.

Ms Golin-Blaugrund says CLIA is confident that cruising will recover as demand is already being seen for 2021 vacations and beyond, but, she says, with most cruise operations still suspended, that means up to 2500 jobs being lost per day.

"By the end of September, the worldwide impact will be US$77 billion ($107 billion), 518,000 jobs and US$23 billion ($32 billion) in wages lost," she said.

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Luxury vessels left to rot in cruise ship 'graveyard' amid COVID-19

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A cruise ship graveyard is growing off the coast of Turkey as the multi-billion-dollar industry grapples with the impact of COVID-19. Now, cruise lines are dumping unneeded ships off Turkey's east coast, where the luxury liners are stripped for spare parts and left to rust.

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'Our waiter coughed over our food': Inside the doomed Ruby Princess as survivors tell of their 'utter hell' after sailing on the coronavirus-riddled cruise - which left 712 infected and 22 dead

2,647 passengers were allowed to leave the ship when it docked in Sydney

Shuttle driver Julie Lamrock contracted the virus after picking up a passenger

Five months later she is still suffering from post-viral symptoms and can't work

Passenger Fred Jackson said his waiter was coughing 'quite a bit' over the food

Ruby Princess passengers have revealed the 'hell' they went through after sailing on the coronavirus-riddled cruise that left 712 infected and 22 dead.

The ship's 2,647 passengers were allowed to disembark the ship when it docked at Sydney's Circular Quay on March 19, spreading COVID-19 around Australia and further afield.

Fred Jackson, from Mosman in Sydney's north shore, said that 100 people were 'breathing all over each other' on a packed tender boat that brought passengers to shore.

The 79-year-old, who spent a month in a Sydney hospital after contracting the virus, said it was almost impossible to socially distance from other people on board.

'Now I look back on it, our waiter was coughing quite a bit over where the food was. He had the type of cough we developed when we got back. It was a dry cough,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Shuttle bus driver Julie Lamrock contracted the virus after she picked up a passenger who later tested positive.

Ms Lamrock spent about an hour with the passenger in the car on their way back to Campbelltown.

While driving out of Sydney, the passenger asked to get out and shop at Aldi but Ms Lamrock refused when they saw a queue of customers as panic buying hit the nation.

'Imagine all those people in Aldi she could have infected,' Ms Lamrock said.

Five months later she is still suffering from post-viral symptoms and hasn't been able to return to work.

'I went through hell, absolute hell. It's with me for the rest of my life now. I'm worried about complications when I get into my 80s. All because the Ruby Princess let their passengers off,' she said.

By March 17 - ten days into the 13-night cruise - 50 passengers had reported respiratory symptoms.

A message went out over the PA system urging people to see the ship's doctor if they had COVID-19 symptoms, leaving the ship's sick bay inundated with concerned passengers.

'Also ruby numbers gone berserk in last 48 hours. I took my eyes off the game yesterday,' a manager from Carnival Australia, the company who runs the Ruby Princess, sent to his colleague.

On March 18, the day before the ship docked, 110 people on board were sick and 17 had a fever.

The day after the ship returned to Sydney from a cruise around New Zealand, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard revealed three COVID-19 tests performed on board had returned positive test results.

It instantly sparked a blame game between the government, NSW Health and the NSW Police Force that dominated headlines.

In the following weeks, 712 passengers and 202 crew tested positive and 22 people died. Two months later the outbreak was finally contained.

An ongoing inquiry is investigating how cruise ship officials were allowed to let thousands disembark when there were suspected cases on board, and before the results of COVID-19 swabs had come back.

Despite this, they were allowed to spill out into Circular Quay, potentially infecting thousands of people as the disease was spreading rapidly before most lockdown measures were put in place.

The inquiry is set to hand down its findings this Friday.

Timeline of Ruby Princess fiasco

March 18: The Ruby Princess issues an urgent mayday call for an ambulance for two of its passengers presenting with coronavirus-like symptoms 24 hours before the ship is allowed to dock in Sydney.

March 19: The Ruby Princess arrives in Sydney Harbour. More than 2,700 guests are allowed to disembark without adequate health checks.

March 25: Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram says New South Wales Health is responsible for letting coronavirus patients disembark the ship.

March 29: Several crew members are evacuated and taken to hospital after being diagnosed with coronavirus.

April 2: A 66-year-old crew member is taken off the Ruby Princess for medical treatment. More than 200 crew members are sick and in self-isolation.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian defends the actions of NSW Health and the Australian Border Force and points the finger at the Ruby Princess. She claims staff onboard may have misled NSW Health about the extent of illnesses in passengers.

April 3: Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton alleges Ruby Princess' operators weren't transparent about the health of crew: 'It was 'clear that some of the companies have been lying about the health of passengers and crew on board'.

April 4: Leaked emails show NSW Health knew of the coronavirus risk on board the Ruby Princess before allowing its thousands of passengers to disembark.

April 5: A criminal investigation is launched into how passengers were able to disembark without health checks

April 8: A team of 30 detectives from state crime, counter terrorism and marine area command start investigating the handling of the Ruby Princess coronavirus scandal. The first briefing into the investigation is held.

April 9: NSW Police clad in PPE equipment raid the vessel, questioning its captain and searching for evidence in a rapid escalation of the criminal investigation.

April 11: NSW Health confirms that at least 46 crew members of the Ruby Princess cruise ship have contracted COVID-19

April 13: NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says patient zero on board may have been a crew member serving meals to hundreds of passengers

April 15 : NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian announces an independent special commission to investigate the Ruby Princess fiasco

April 23: With 500 crew left on board, the Ruby Princess left Australian waters to sail to Manila in the Phillipines

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Ruby Princess survivors tell of their 'utter hell'

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2,647 passengers were allowed to leave the ship when it docked in Sydney Shuttle driver Julie Lamrock contracted the virus after picking up a passenger Five months later she is still suffering from post-viral symptoms and can't work Passenger Fred Jackson said his waiter was coughing 'quite a bit' over the food Ruby Princess passengers have revealed the 'hell' they went through after sailing on the coronavirus-riddled cruise that left 712 infected and 22 dead.

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Coronavirus: 'Serious mistakes' made over Ruby Princess outbreak

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An Australian inquiry is highly critical of the authorities' handling of the Ruby Princess outbreak.

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Five dead, 412 infected with coronavirus in Ruby Princess debacle 

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Five dead, 412 infected with coronavirus in Ruby Princess debacle 

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Fresh from a multi-million dollar renovation, Ruby Princess is a luminous jewel on the seas and a romantic destination in itself. She offers nearly 900 balconies from which to view the world, an array of entertainment options including Movies Under the Stars®, now with the industry's best 7.1 surround sound for an immersive audio experience, and sumptuous dining options from Crown Grill to exciting new top deck dining venues including Slice Pizzeria and Coffee & Cones.

From the moment you step aboard, we want you to feel welcomed and right at home. And with attentive service from a friendly staff that knows what hospitality means, you'll find your Princess® ship truly is your home away from home.

Photos, floor plan diagrams, amenities, and furnishings represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship and stateroom.

Revitalize and refresh body, mind and soul with Princess®. From rejuvenating spa treatments and the tranquility of a top-deck retreat reserved just for adults to our state-of-the-art fitness centers, you'll find all the elements to come back new.

From family-friendly stateroom options to enriching youth and family programs, quality time is time well spent. Onboard activities spark curiosity and fuel creativity while excursions ashore engage and inspire!

¹ Activities, dining and entertainment options vary by ship and are subject to change. Photos represent typical arrangements and may vary in detail or configuration.

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Princess Cruises: Ruby Princess - Cruise Ship Information

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Fresh from a multi-million dollar renovation, Ruby Princess is a luminous jewel on the seas and a romantic destination in itself. She offers nearly 900 balconies from which to view the world, an array of entertainment options including Movies Under the Stars®, now with the industry's best 7.1 surround sound for an immersive audio experience, and sumptuous dining options from Crown Grill to exciting new top deck dining venues including Slice Pizzeria and Coffee & Cones.

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Alhambra couple who contracted COVID-19 aboard ship sues Princess Cruises 

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Alhambra couple who contracted COVID-19 aboard ship sues Princess Cruises 

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An Alhambra couple and their cousin are seeking more than a $1 million in damages from Princess Cruises, alleging the company failed to take steps that would have prevented them from contracting COVID-19 in March aboard a ship that sailed from Sydney, Australia.

A lawsuit filed earlier this month by Leroy and Gina Paialii and their cousin, Elizabeth Hill of Honolulu, alleges Santa Clarita-based Princess Cruises negligently allowed the Ruby Princess to sail March 8 despite a previous COVID-19 outbreak on the ship as well as other vessels in its fleet.

"Yet they recklessly decided to board another 3,000 passengers (on the Ruby Princess).... and put their lives at risk, which is why plaintiffs contracted the highly communicable disease COVID-19," the suit alleges.

Leroy Paialii said Tuesday he and his wife were sailing with about a dozen family members, most of whom did not become ill. He declined to elaborate.

In a separate matter, a class-action lawsuit was filed in June in U.S. District Court against Princess Cruises on behalf of the more than 2,800 passengers exposed to COVID-19 on the Grand Princess that sailed from San Francisco to Mexico in February.

Negin Kamali, a spokeswoman for Princess Cruises, declined to comment on the pending litigation, but said the company is sensitive to the difficulties experienced by guests and crew members because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Our response throughout this process has focused on the well-being of our guests and crew within the parameters dictated to us by the government agencies involved and the evolving medical understanding of this new illness," Kamali said in an email.

Princess Cruises made international headlines in early February when its Diamond Princess ship suffered a COVID-19 outbreak in Yokohama, Japan.

"The outbreak began with ten cases, and rapidly multiplied to 700 cases, as a result of the flawed two-week quarantine on the ship," the lawsuit says.

The outbreak prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to issue a statement Feb. 18 on the dire conditions aboard the Diamond Princess.

"CDC believes the rate of new reports of positives new on board, especially among those without symptoms, highlights the high burden of infection on the ship and the potential for ongoing risk," the statement says.

Among 3,711 Diamond Princess passengers and crew members, more than 800 tested positive for COVID-19 and 10 people died.

Subsequently, Princess Cruises suffered two additional outbreaks on its Grand Princess sailings of Feb. 11 and 21 out of San Francisco, resulting in more than four deaths and hundreds of infections to its passengers and crew members.

Despite the outbreaks, Princess Cruises continued to sail from various ports of call, including Sydney, where the Ruby Princess was anchored.

Princess Cruises provided vouchers to passengers to buy lunch while the March 8 sailing was delayed for six hours so the Ruby Princess could be further disinfected from a previous COVID-19 outbreak, the complaint says.

The Ruby Princess failed to employ proper screening protocols for COVID-19 before boarding passengers, didn't quarantine those who showed symptoms of the virus or inform those aboard there was outbreak, allowing the cruise to continue until it returned to Australia three days early, the lawsuit says.

The Paialiis and Hill began showing COVID-19 symptoms about March 20. They exhibited fever, coughing, headaches, body aches, trouble breathing and loss of taste. The trio remain traumatized from the illness, according to the lawsuit.

The suit describes Princess Cruises' actions resulting in the plaintiffs' illness as inexcusable.

"Princess chose to place profits over the safety of its passengers, crew and the general public in continuing to operate business as usual despite their knowledge of the actual risk of injury to plaintiffs," the complaint says.

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Alhambra couple who contracted COVID-19 aboard ship sues Princess Cruises

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An Alhambra couple and their cousin are seeking more than a $1 million in damages from Princess Cruises, alleging the company failed to take steps that would have prevented them from contracting COVID-19 in March aboard a ship that sailed from Sydney, Australia.

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'Serious mistakes' made over Ruby Princess outbreak

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'Serious mistakes' made over Ruby Princess outbreak

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https://cruisepassenger.com.au/princess-cruises-claims-sailing-ruby-princess-followed-prime-ministers-orders/

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Ruby Princess: New South Wales premier apologises over cruise ship outbreak

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Ruby Princess: New South Wales premier apologises over cruise ship outbreak