Brad Hazzard defends handling of Ruby Princess debacle
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard has paid an emotional tribute to staff on the front line of the coronavirus fight during a heated press conference in Sydney this morning where he again defended the handling of the Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco.
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New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard has paid an emotional tribute to staff on the front line of the coronavirus fight during a heated press conference in Sydney this morning where he again defended the handling of the Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco.
Mr Hazzard, who was peppered with questions over the cruise ship bungle and asked if he would resign, said the decisions were made by some of the most capable minds in world health.
“The very senior health staff that made the assessments on those cruise ships are actually among the world’s best,” he said.
“There were four, generally, involved in each decision-making - four very senior health staff. They are specialist physicians, doctors with extraordinary training and experience in public health.”
Mr Hazzard asked those criticising the handling of the Ruby Princess, a cruise ship that was allowed to dock in Sydney last month and has so far seen seven deaths and more than 600 positive cases, to back off and understand those senior officials have been working around the clock and are under immense pressure.
“What I would say to the community and to those who are leaping to criticise is, take a step
back, and realise that we need every one of these people, who have worked their hearts out, worked every aspect, every possible thing they could do to keep us safe, and we should be very temperate and careful in any criticism of those people,” he said.
The minister also thanked front line health staff.
“There are no words to thank those staff at the frontline,” a clearly emotional Mr Hazzard said. “But I’d just want them to know, from the Minister, their Minister, from the senior health staff, and the community, we are thinking of you and bless you for the work you are doing. Thank you so much.”
A number of changes were also announced with Mr Hazzard saying he had amended some of the restrictions that had been in place.
Funerals, which had been restricted to 10 people including staff and the celebrant, can now have 10 attendees plus funeral home employees and the person conducting the funeral.
Changes were also made to clarify rules around caravan park usage. Mr Hazzard said such accommodation could still be used overnight for travellers, workers in the local community and those who didn’t have access to their usual address - most notably those who lost their homes during the devastating bushfires over the summer.