‘Appalling’: Wollongong lashes out as ill-fated Ruby Princess docks in city

Despite authorities promising locals the Ruby Princess will be dealt with professionally, Wollongong locals are furious their city is about to be overrun by coronavirus.

The Ruby Princess has berthed in Wollongong, the same day a criminal investigation is set to begin into the ill-fated cruise ship.

But the struggling ship wasn’t really welcomed with open arms this morning as reports more than 200 Ruby Princess crew members are showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Local MP Ryan Park, who also serves as the state’s Shadow Health Minister, was particularly furious about the ship’s arrival.

Bloody appalling!

Why would you bring a toxic ship down to a regional port and potentially overrun our local hospital?

We want the crew on board to be treated properly so why would you take the ship away from where the majority of health and hospital services are.....Sydney! pic.twitter.com/QnbBu3aHoq

— Ryan Park MP (@RyanPark_Keira) April 5, 2020

Speaking to reporters this morning, Mr Park claimed the ship had been brought in “under the cover of darkness” into a region that was already struggling with the pressures of coronavirus.

Dozens of Wollongong locals also drove up the outskirts of the port to see the cruise ship arrive with police called in to move crowds on and remind them of the state’s new social distancing measures.

Local MP Ryan Park in Port Kembla today.

The Ruby Princess is responsible for more than 600 of Australia’s coronavirus cases and at least 11 deaths.

The ship will be the last to leave NSW waters after the remaining crew quarantine at Port Kembla for at least 10 days.

More than 1000 crew members remain on the ship, coming from dozens of countries. At least 200 of them have coronavirus symptoms however most are able to isolate in their cabins for now.

Local police at Port Kembla this morning.

Two of the crew members were taken off the ship yesterday for medical assistance.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the ship needed to dock at Port Kembla for a number of reasons.

“Taking sick crew and passengers off at sea is a complex and dangerous task,” he said.

“So the ship will be docked ... we have used Port Kembla extensively over the course of this operation to refuel and resupply ships. So thank you to the Port Kembla dock and we will continue to make sure there's the highest level of security for the locals down in southern New South Wales.”

The Ruby Princess coming in to dock at Port Kembla.

‘HEADS HAVE GOT TO ROLL’ OVER RUBY PRINCESS SAGA

Commissioner Fuller announced the investigation into the Ruby Princess yesterday. It will include cruise line operator Carnival Australia.

Speaking on Today this morning, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said “heads have to roll” over the deadly fiasco.

“The Australian people will want answers to this. Heads have got to roll,” she said.

“People in parliament, I see it all the time. They’re absolutely useless. They shouldn’t be in parliament … They’ve only got there because they’re ‘yes’ people, they can’t think for themselves.

“They have no knowledge, no experience, absolutely nothing, and this is why you need tough leaders. That’s why I’m saying with Scott Morrison. I don’t always agree with him, but at least he’s prepared to make tough decisions and that’s what you need when you have a crisis.”

Senator Hanson didn’t mince words when she spoke about NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, saying responsibility for the Ruby Princess stuff-up must fall on him and Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

“I’ve heard from people that consider him weak and useless,” she said of Mr Hazzard.

“But I’m sorry, heads have to roll over this.

“And Gladys Berejiklian, she should actually have been directing. She is the leader of the state … Everyone knew there was coronavirus on that ship. Nothing was done about it, so someone has to take responsibility for this.”

"I blame the New South Wales government for it... the right decisions weren't made. People have died from that." @PaulineHansonOz on the Ruby Princess criminal investigation. #9Today pic.twitter.com/rEoLDlLSLr

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 5, 2020

In a press conference this morning, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said making sure everyone on the Ruby Princess was OK was “essential”.

“Obviously the health and wellbeing of the crew members is essential,” Mr Fuller said.

The Ruby Princess investigation – led by the NSW Police Homicide Squad – aims to identity how passengers were allowed to disembark the Ruby Princess in Sydney, resulting in several deaths and COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the country.

“The only way I can get to the bottom of whether our national biosecurity laws and our state laws were broken is through a criminal investigation,” Mr Fuller said yesterday.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller speaks to the media. Picture: Brendon Thorne

Mr Fuller told reporters transparency regarding patient health on-board the cruise ship was a key question for the investigation.
“From my perspective there are many unanswered questions,” he said.

“There seems to be absolute discrepancies between the information provided by Carnival and what I would see is the benchmark for the laws of the federal and state government.”

He said there was clear evidence COVID-19 had come off the Ruby Princess and at least 11 passengers had died in Australia because of it.
The investigation will cover the actions of the port authority, ambulance, police, the NSW Health department and Carnival Australia.
Carnival Australia responded to Mr Fuller’s announcement yesterday, offering full co-operation with the investigation.

– with AAP

The Ruby Princess crew are transferred. Picture: 7 News