The corona-stricken cruise ship The Ruby Princess is allowed to dock 80 kilometers south of Sydney after just over two weeks at sea.
The ship has been allowed to enter port after 200 people from the approximately 1,000-person crew began to show symptoms reminiscent of Covid-19. Those who are sick are primarily treated on board, and only those who are assessed by doctors as seriously ill are taken ashore for treatment.
The ship has not been allowed into port since March 19, when 2,700 passengers disembarked in Sydney without undergoing health checks. A few days earlier, regulations had been introduced that only emergency calls at Australian ports were allowed.
The fact that authorities allowed passengers to disembark is considered the single largest source of the spread of the infection in the country. An investigation has been launched into Carnival Australia, the company that owns The Ruby Princess, to get answers to ”unanswered questions,” according to a police source.
In Australia, 5,600 people have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus so far and 40 people have died. Around a hundred passengers from The Ruby Princess have been confirmed to be infected and ten of them have died.
The Ruby Princess is allowed to stay in port for ten days to replenish fuel and supplies.
Source: TT
