Ruby Princess inquiry: COVID-19 probe continues over cruise outbreak
A senior Carnival Australia manager can’t recall assuring the NSW Ports Authority that things were “business as usual” when questioned about coronavirus fears the night before the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney.
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A senior Carnival Australia manager can’t recall assuring the NSW Ports Authority that things were “business as usual” when questioned about coronavirus fears the night before the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney.
A senior Carnival Australia manager can’t recall assuring the NSW Ports Authority that things were “business as usual” when questioned about coronavirus fears the night before the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney.
The cruise company’s head of port operations Paul Mifsud told the Special Commission of Inquiry that he said ambulance transfer requests for two sick passengers were not COVID-19 related when called late at night on March 18.
NSW Ports Authority’s Robert Rybanic has previously told the inquiry Mr Mifsud said: “it was business as usual… it wasn’t a COVID ship.”
“I don’t recall saying “business as usual”, no. It doesn’t sound like I’d say that,” Mr Mifsud said on Monday.
Mr Mifsud said his port agents hadn’t informed him that the two patients who were taken to Royal Prince Alfred hospital had fever and respiratory illness symptoms.
Both patients later tested positive for COVID-19, and one died within days.
Mr Mifsud said he told Mr Rybanic that government health authorities had given the ship clearance to berth and disembark guests, and noted there were some coronavirus test swabs that needed to be taken to a laboratory.
Mr Mifsud also called the Authority’s acting chief operating officer Emma Fensom just after midnight, and denied telling her the Ruby Princess was not a “COVID ship” because he knew the vessel couldn't do on-board testing for the deadly disease.
“I may have said at that stage there was no confirmed cases,” he told the public inquiry.
Mr Mifsud also denied telling Ms Fensom that NSW Health had not said there was any COVID-19 on board.
The inquiry is examining why 2700 passengers were allowed to disembark the ship on March 19 without proper checks.
The Ruby Princess has been linked to more than 20 coronavirus deaths and 600 infections across Australia, including a cluster in Tasmania.