Coronavirus Australia: Troubled Ruby Princess finally leaves

The ill-fated Ruby Princess set sail for the Philippines this afternoon after being docked in Australia for five weeks when coronavirus broke out on board.

The ill-fated Ruby Princess cruise ship has set sail from Australian shores.

The ship was given a “water salute” as it left Port Kembla in NSW this afternoon, five weeks after in docked in Sydney.

A COVID-19 outbreak on board caused 21 deaths and up to 600 infections across Australia. It’s believed up to 10 per cent of the nation’s cases are linked to the ship.

More than 550 crew members disembarked the ship this week to be taken to Sydney Airport where they will fly home to the Philippines and other countries.

A tug boat gives a water salute as cruise liner Ruby Princess prepares to leave Port Kembla. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

Groups have been disembarking the ship since Tuesday after testing negative for coronavirus.

A total of 21 crew members who disembarked the ship have tested positive and have been taken to hotels for a 14-day quarantine period.

A dozen crew members infected with coronavirus had previously been taken to NSW hospitals.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said health authorities had been working with the Australian Border Force, police, Aspen Medical, and the ship’s medical crew, and was confident the on-board coronavirus outbreak was under control.

“The ship is now in a position to set sail,” she told reporters.

Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz thanked the community for their support. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

Cruise operator Carnival Australia said the priority had been to ensure the health of the crew on board was stable before the ship departed.

“It is distressing and heartbreaking that coronavirus has had such a terrible impact around the world including on some of our guests, crew members, and their families,” President Sture Myrmell said today.

Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz said the Ruby Princess crew members had shown strength amid difficult circumstances.

She also thanked the Illawarra community for supporting the crew, with the cruise liner donating $50,000 to the Mission to Seafarers at Port Kembla charity.

“The Illawarra community never lost sight of the fact that this was all about people caught up in difficult circumstances that were not of their making,” Ms Swartz said.

With AAP