Ruby Princess cruise ship crisis: One in ten passengers now infected with coronavirus
More than 600 passengers from the Ruby Princess have now been infected with coronavirus, and the 1100 remaining crew plead for help as they remain stranded on the stricken ship.
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More than 600 passengers from the Ruby Princess have now been infected with coronavirus, as authorities try to work out what to do with 1100 crew members stranded aboard the stricken ship off the NSW coast.
New state-based health department figures show that by Friday night, 612 people in every state and territories had been infected, with NSW the epicentre with 342 people testing positive to COVID-19.
The figure is likely to rise, as Victoria is only reporting 23 cases, and has not updated its figures since April 1.
And the figure do not include secondary infections, people who contracted the virus from family members and friends who were on the ill-fated New Zealand cruise last month.
Crew members are also being struck down by the virus, with at least seven evacuated to hospitals in Sydney and hundreds more stuck on the ship being monitored and tested.
As the Ruby Princess crisis continues to unfold, News Corp can reveal around 22 per cent of passengers – more than one in five – have been diagnosed with virus. Seven people have died.
Queensland has 75 cases, Western Australia 47, South Australia 84 and the ACT has two. The ACT has also declared two cases of secondary infections.
The Northern Territory has two Ruby Princess passengers with coronavirus, while Tasmania has 17.
Several crew members are among the 612 cases recorded by the state and territory health departments.
In Tasmania, the partner of an 81-year-old man who died on Monday has told how doctors allowed her to visit him in hospital to say a final goodbye – but she could not touch him or hold his hand.
Maureen Dawes, 77, said Lenny Fisher, her partner of 29 years, had his bags packed a week before the cruise left, and that the pair had enjoyed the 11-day trip of a lifetime.
“I’ll see you later my love,’’ she told him as she left his bedside. “But I knew I wouldn’t.’’
He died in isolation two hours later.
Shine Lawyers is investigating on behalf of “many tens of people” and confirmed a class action could develop as a result of the Ruby Princess debacle.
“This is the sort of thing a class action regime is designed to assist people with,” Jan Saddler of Shine Lawyers said.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller is investigating how the 2700 passengers were allowed to disembark from the Ruby Princess on March 19 without the results of coronavirus testing of sick patients on board being known.
Emails have shown the ship declared it had 128 ill passengers on board, had isolated a number with ‘flu-like symptoms in their cabins, and undertaken testing.
Despite this, NSW Health deemed the vessel low-risk, and wrote to the ship advising “you are free to disembark tomorrow.’’
Maritime lawyer Jim Walker, from Miami, has posted on his blog a message he says has come from a crew member aboard the stricken ship, which is being held offshore while authorities test the 1200 crew members for coronavirus.
Mr Fuller has said he does not want the crew to come ashore due to fears they could overload the already-stretched NSW hospital and health system.
At least seven seriously ill crew members have been evacuated and private medical specialists, police and Border Force officials have been on the ship, one of eight cruise ships hovering off the coast, to conduct coronavirus testing.
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“Despite the best efforts of Princess, the Australian Government will not assist the vessel, where 1050+ very scared crew members are literally imprisoned on board with no real concrete info or plan,’’ the crew members message said.
“Please help this situation is now dire.”
In an updated message, the crew member stated they did not yet know the results of the tests.
“Crew have all been put in Guest cabins about 700 with another 300 serving those in cabins. (making & delivering food, temp checks, etc.). Crew are terrified.
“No idea how many actually have Covid but MANY have symptoms including lack of taste & smell.”
On Friday, a spokesman for the Ruby Princess’ parent company wrote to passengers saying the ship had made full disclosure to authorities of illnesses on-board, prior to arriving at Circular Quay
--“…guests who presented to the medical centre with flu-like symptoms were immediately isolated,’’ the spokesman said.
“The ill people were reported to NSW Health who advised that we could proceed with disembarking all guests prior to test results being received.
NSW Health issued a statement on Friday night saying the outbreak: “could not have been prevented by NSW Health staff” and that no coronavirus cases were identified on board before the Ruby Princess docked.
Originally published as Ruby Princess cruise ship crisis: One in ten passengers now infected with coronavirus
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