Coronavirus: cops seek answers from 5600 aboard Ruby Princess

Police investigating the deaths of 19 people from the Ruby Princess will send a questionnaire to more than 5600 passengers.

NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller previously set a deadline of Sunday for the ship to depart. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Detectives investigating the deaths of 19 people from the Ruby Princess cruise ship will send a questionnaire to more than 5600 passengers who travelled aboard the liner during February and March to try to establish whether ship officials suspected an outbreak of COVID-19 and downplayed the extent of the illnesses.

A copy of the questionnaire was released on Friday as the ship ­remained docked in Port Kembla with more than 1000 crew members in quarantine. NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller previously set a deadline of Sunday for the ship to depart.

He has since revised his position to call this an “aspirational” target, with COVID-19 testing of crew to continue on Saturday and the ship likely to depart next week. Inquiries on board the ship have been completed, police said.

Detectives from Strike Force Bast are seeking to make contact with all passengers who travelled aboard the Ruby Princess during its February 24 and March 8 voyages.

There had been 2995 passengers on the first voyage, and 2647 on the second, police said.

Nineteen passengers have died since the March 8 voyage returned to Sydney and more than 700 people have since been infected. The outbreak is believed to have been traced back to a crew member working in the ship’s galley.

The NSW Homicide Squad questionnaire is being distributed in part because of the high number of witnesses who need to be spoken to, but also to identify high-priority passengers.

Efforts are being made to find these passengers through the cruise ship’s manifests, though the point of contact for many people was listed as a travel agent. “Given the ­expanse of the proposed inquiries — both in volume and distance — this may take some time to complete,” police said.

The questions include whether passengers noticed any extra cleaning on board the ship, ­whether they received treatment for a sickness in the ship’s medical centre, whether they noticed ­passengers or crew who were quarantined, and whether ­announcements were made about COVID-19.

A special commission of ­inquiry overseen by barrister Bret Walker SC is running in parallel to the police investigation. A coronial inquest could also be called.