Coronavirus Australia: Ruby Princess passenger, 70, dies from COVID-19

A female passenger in her 70s who was rushed to hospital from the Ruby Princess cruise ship after it docked in Sydney last week has died.

The coronavirus death toll in Australia has risen to eight.

A female passenger in her 70s who was rushed to hospital from the Ruby Princess cruise ship after it docked in Sydney last week died in hospital this morning, NSW Health says.

She is the seventh person to die in NSW.

She was one of three initial passengers who tested positive after nearly 2700 were allowed to disembark the ship.

NSW Health says 133 people who were on board the Ruby Princess have now tested positive for COVID-19.

Of those, 107 are in NSW and 26 are interstate.

“It should be noted, no cases of COVID-19 had been identified by doctors on board before docking,” NSW Health said.

R ELATED: MSC Magnifica cruise ship docks in Western Australia

A 70-year-old has died from COVID-19. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins.

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“Five people who had displayed influenza-like illness were tested in Wellington, New Zealand on March 14, and all were negative for COVID-19.”

There are currently 12 coronavirus cases in intensive care units, eight of whom require ventilators.

Also detailed in the new cases today are a large number of people who were allowed to disembark from other cruise ships.

There are 13 cases in NSW linked to the Ovation of the Seas which docked in Sydney on March 18, and seven cases who were on board the cruise Voyager of the Seas which disembarked on March 18.

Other cases include two teachers at Normanhurst West Public School in Thornleigh, who were confirmed on March 21 and March 23.

Close contacts at the school have been identified and are being contacted placed in self-isolation. The school will remain closed today.

There have also been three more positive cases at the hard-hit Dorothy Henderson Lodge, bringing to a total of 11 residents and five staff testing positive for COVID-19.

Regarding the University of Sydney rugby match on March 14, another person has tested positive. They live in the ACT, where authorities are following up.

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More than 100 passengers on board the ship have the virus. PICTURE: AAP Image/Dean Lewins.

Earlier this week, Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan lashed NSW’s handling of the Ruby Princess cruise ship for allowing passengers to disembark in Sydney.

Mr McGowan told reporters on Sunday that while NSW had people coming off ships and able to roam in Sydney, this state managed the docking of MSC Magnifica in to Freemantle quite differently.

“We managed the cruise ship very, very well so quite different to what happened in NSW,” Mr McGowan said.

The Ruby Princess, carrying 2700 passengers, left Sydney on March 8 before it completed a cruise around the Pacific to New Zealand and returned to the city last Thursday morning, with several passengers reporting flu-like symptoms while on-board.

All passengers and crew had been notified and advised to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor symptoms.

More to come.