Email bombshell: NSW’s Ruby Princess coronavirus bungle
NSW Health authorities gave the coronavirus-riddled Ruby Princess cruise ship the green light for passengers to disembark in Sydney and decided not to board the ship for assessments despite being told several passengers had symptoms of acute respiratory illness but had tested negative for influenza.
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NSW Health authorities gave the coronavirus-riddled Ruby Princess cruise ship the green light for passengers to disembark in Sydney and decided not to board the ship for assessments despite being told several passengers had symptoms of acute respiratory illness but had tested negative for influenza.
Emails sent between the ship’s senior doctor and NSW Health in the days leading up to the ship arriving in Circular Quay, seen by The Saturday Telegraph, show the department authorised the 2700 passengers to disembark on March 19 — before COVID-19 testing of samples from 15 sick patients would be conducted.
An email from the ship’s doctor on the morning or March 18 read: “Please be aware we have collected viral swabs for a few cases of ‘febrile, influenza test negative’ individuals, and have kept the guests isolated. Please advise on how to proceed ...”
NSW Health replied: “The NSW Health expert panel has assessed the Ruby Princess as NOT requiring on board health assessment in Sydney.
“We would however ask you to send the 15 samples to our lab for COVID testing. You are free to disembark tomorrow, however according to the new Australian government guidance, all passengers must go into self-isolation for 14 days.”
The Saturday Telegraph can confirm a follow-up email was sent by the doctor, asking if NSW Health would be testing the swabs taken on the ship on the same day the ship would be docking.
NSW Health did not publicly disclose four passengers had tested positive for COVID-19 until March 20.
According to emails, on March 17 health officials had asked the Ruby Princess to provide a log of any sick patients, including if medical transfers would be required.
In the March 18 email, the ship’s doctor confirmed an Australian man and woman “with no travel history of significance outside NSW or New Zealand” would require an immediate ambulance transfer to hospital as soon as they disembarked.
In a statement NSW Health defended its decision to allow passengers to disembark, arguing the risk assessment had to balance the negative impact of potentially allowing COVID-19 cases into Sydney against the benefit of removing passengers from a cruise ship on which the virus could be circulating.
A NSW Health spokeswoman said the “negative” influenza tests from the 15 Ruby Princess passengers may not have been accurate because the “rapid” test kits used often gave false readings.
“The illness and test results identified on board was consistent with influenza,” she said, adding that the two sick patients referenced in the emails had infections consistent with influenza for which they were receiving treatment.
To date there have been 342 confirmed cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in NSW in Ruby Princess passengers.
NSW Health said “probable secondary transmission” had been limited to 11 confirmed cases as of Friday.
The NSW Heath spokeswoman said it was possible some people had contracted the virus before boarding the ship.
“Transmission of COVID-19 amongst these passengers could not have been prevented by NSW Health staff,” she said.
About 10 per cent of Australia’s 5331 COVID-19 cases are connected to the ship and seven passengers have died.
It comes as Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the claim on Thursday it was “absolutely potentially the case” NSW Health officials were given incorrect information about the number of unwell passengers on the Ruby Princess before allowing passengers to get off in Sydney Harbour.