Race to find passengers who left virus-hit cruise in Sydney harbour

A FRANTIC search was today under way to trace 2,700 passengers who disembarked a cruise ship in Sydney after four people who were on board tested positive for coronavirus.

The passengers left the Ruby Princess yesterday. It is operated by Princess Cruises, which also owns the Diamond Princess, where 700 people contracted the virus after being quarantined off the coast of Japan for two weeks, as well as the Grand Princess which was quarantined off San Francisco.

“Our big concern, the very big concern, is that those people came off the cruise with no knowledge of Covid actually being on their ship,” said New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard, after three guests and a crew member were found to be carrying the disease.

The authorities have told all passengers to self-isolate for 14 days.

The vessel docked in Sydney at 6am yesterday with 2,700 passengers and 1,100 crew on board.

Thirteen passengers were tested on board but were allowed to disembark as they were deemed “low risk”.

Australia now has more than 700 cases after 144 positive tests were announced yesterday, the highest number logged in a single day.

Hundreds of sunbathers appeared unperturbed by the crisis, descending on Sydney’s Bondi Beach today as temperatures hit 32C.

Mr Hazzard said people were “by all means” able to enjoy the beaches, but urged them to follow health guidelines, including keeping a safe distance from others.

He said: “We are in a different time. We need to behave in different ways and that is to keep your distance. The recommendation is at least 1.5 metres.”

Australia’s southern island state of Tasmania is quarantining itself from the mainland. After tomorrow, anyone who enters will have to spend 14 days in isolation.

“We’ve got a moat, and we’re not afraid to use it,” read the front page of Tasmania’s The Mercury newspaper today.