Coronavirus NSW: Ruby Princess cruise ship docks at Port Kembla
NSW Labor health spokesman Ryan Park says he is appalled the Ruby Princess was allowed to dock in Port Kembla this morning, revealing he wasn’t even told about the decision.
Illawarra Star
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The cruise ship at the centre of Australia’s worst COVID-19 outbreak has docked in Port Kembla this morning, as it becomes the subject of a major criminal investigation in NSW.
The Ruby Princess arrived at Port Kembla, south of Wollongong, under heavy police presence just after 8am this morning, “to allow for safer access for medical assessments, treatment, or emergency extractions of her crew,” police said.
The cruise ship became a subject of controversy in recent weeks, after passengers were free to disembark last month despite some being tested for the deadly virus.
It's now been revealed that at least 11 of the 35 Australians who have died are linked to the Ruby Princess, as well as more than 620 confirmed cases.
It’s understood there are hundreds of sick crew still on board the ship, which will berth just south of Wollongong for the next 10 days as part of a plan to repatriate people still stuck on the ship.
On Monday morning, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said passengers would be forced to self-isolate on the ship until April 16.
“Between NSW Health, the NSW police and the emergency management team a plan has been developed that will be around isolation on the ship and then from that, from that 10-day period of isolation, we can then continue to work with Carnival in relation to repatriation of the individuals on the ship,” he said.
In a statement, NSW Police said the cruise ship would not pose a risk to the Illawarra community.
“The berthing will be conducted under strict health and biosecurity guidelines and will not pose a risk to employees at the port or the broader community,” a NSW Police spokesman said.
However, NSW opposition health spokesman Ryan Park has labelled the government’s decision to dock the Ruby Princess as “appalling”, saying he and the Wollongong state Labor MP Paul Scully were not informed of the decision, and feared the strain it could put on the local health system.
“We want those crew members to get access to first class healthcare and hospitals, that's the right thing to do, but that should have been down in Sydney, because just around Sydney Harbour we have four or five major hospitals in close proximity,” Mr Park said.
“What (the government’s) done again, under the cover of darkness, is bring this cruise ship to a regional hospital that’s already under enormous pressure.”
Mr Scully said he hadn’t been made aware of any plans on what will be done with patients who need urgent medical care of the ship, including what hospitals they would be taken to. With just 24 ICU beds available for coronavirus patients at Wollongong Hospital, Mr Scully feared sick crew members could overwhelm local hospitals and health staff.
“There are about 200 sick crew members on board, every single one of them should get the healthcare they deserve and need …,” he said.
“If just 10 percent of those 200 sick crew members require an ICU bed, Wollongong Hospital is overwhelmed, there are no beds left – and that’s a deeply disturbing prospect for our entire region not to mention those crew on board who are not yet diagnosed as having COVID-19.”
By Monday afternoon, Mr Scully said he had been in contact with Health Minister Brad Hazzarad, who confirmed hospitals around Sydney and the Illawarra would take on any patients from the ship.
“In the first instance people who are sick will be treated on board,” Mr Scully said.
“Anyone who does have to disembark will be sent to a number of hospitals, the demand will be spread out.”
Yesterday, NSW Police announced a criminal investigation would be launched into how almost 2700 passengers from the vessel were allowed to disembark without waiting for coronavirus tests conducted on the ship to be returned.
The office of NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has been contacted for comment.