On April 5, 2020, the NSW Police launched a criminal investigation into how the cruise company Carnival Australia (subsidiary of Carnival Corporation that manages the Australia-based ships) was allowed to disembark Ruby Princess in Port Sydney NSW.
According to NSW Police Mick Fuller, it was clear that COVID-19 had come off the cruise ship. He added it was “too early to tell” what crime had been committed. The criminal investigation will look at the actions of the NSW Health Department, ambulance, police, port authority, and Carnival Australia. It will be led by Homicide Detective Chief Inspector Jason Dickinson. State and federal witnesses will be interviewed, as well as cruise passengers.
At least 10 Australians (former passengers on the Princess Cruises vessel) died from Coronavirus (COVID-19). Hundreds more cruisers (international passengers) and crew tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, April 3, NSW Health said no COVID-19 cases had been identified onboard Ruby Princess before she docked in Sydney NSW. The government came under fire last week after leaked emails unveiled results of onboard swab tests from cruise passengers who were showing signs of influenza. The results would have been available the day passengers disembarked.
Test results, revealed by the government on March 20, showed that 4 passengers had contracted the Coronavirus while onboard, but by that time a total of 2647 people had left the liner.
For other Ruby Princess accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.