Tasmanian woman on Ruby Princess cruise ship confirmed to have coronavirus

UPDATED: A Tasmanian woman is one of four cases of coronavirus among passengers and crew who were on a cruise ship that docked in Sydney.

A TASMANIAN woman on board a cruise ship that docked in Sydney on Thursday has tested positive for coronavirus.

Health authorities on Friday revealed the woman was one of four confirmed cases of the virus — three passengers and one crew member — on board the Ruby Princess which had arrived in Sydney from New Zealand and was carrying about 2700 people.

The woman was one of 54 Tasmanians on board the vessel. She is being managed by New South Wales Health.

Another passenger who was on board the vessel has been admitted to hospital in Tasmania with respiratory symptoms and will be tested for coronavirus.

Cruise ship passengers disembark from the Ruby Princess at Circular Quay in Sydney on Thursday. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

Tasmania’s Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said the state’s Public Health Services would contact all Tasmanian passengers who were on board the ship.

Dr Veitch said passengers still in Sydney who had symptoms should not board domestic flights and follow the advice of NSW Health.

It comes as Tasmanians are urged to dob in people who dodge tough new quarantine measures designed to protect the state from the deadly virus.

Premier Peter Gutwein on Thursday announced strict new border rules that require non-essential travellers from mainland Australia to Tasmania to quarantine for 14 days.

The measures take effect at 12am on Saturday following restrictions on overseas travellers that were already in place.

TASMANIA’S TOUGH NEW BORDER MEASURES EXPLAINED

TASMANIAN SELF-ISOLATION EXEMPTIONS

Mr Gutwein said the community had a role to play, encouraging Tasmanians to call police if they came across anyone flouting the rules as authorities adopt a hard-line approach.

Fines of up to $16,800 — and even up to six months in prison — can apply for people found ignoring the measures.

Exemptions apply for essential travellers, which include health care and emergency workers, while fly-in, fly-out workers will only have to quarantine for the time they are home in Tasmania, not the full 14 days.

Mr Gutwein said authorities would be conducting “spot audits” to make sure those told to self-quarantine were doing the right thing.

“But importantly, the community has a role to play here. If you have somebody that is in your workplace that has been to Bali recently, then that is an issue,’’ he said.

“It is putting Tasmanians’ health and safety at risk and it should be reported.”

It comes as the Government works on measures to make sure those coming into Tasmania on yachts from other states are aware they need to quarantine as well.

Meanwhile, a dedicated facility to isolate and treat all confirmed coronavirus cases in Tasmania as a way to contain the spread of the virus is not currently being considered.

The Premier announced a state of emergency this week, with Police Commissioner Darren Hine assuming the role of state controller under the Emergency Management Act.

There have been 10 confirmed cases in Tasmania, in addition to the Tasmanian woman diagnosed in NSW.