More than 100 passengers and crew will be forced to stay on a cruise ship infected with Covid until they test negative for the virus when it docks in Sydney this morning.
Dozens of guests and staff were infected aboard the Coral Princess as it departed Port Douglas in Far North Queensland for Brisbane on Sunday.
The ship will dock at Sydney’s Circular Quay at 6:30am on Wednesday and those infected will not be allowed to disembark until they have returned a negative Covid test result.
The outbreak on the cruise ship has infected most of the crew members, with 114 of them isolated on Tuesday.
More than 100 passengers and crew on Coral Princess (pictured) have tested positive for Covid
Four passengers have been quarantined after testing positive, and 24 had previously disembarked in Brisbane, Queensland’s chief medical officer John Gerrard said.
NSW Health said passengers who tested positive on board were likely to have carried the virus on board rather than being infected at sea.
The ship docked at Eden on the south coast on Tuesday, where about 800 passengers disembarked after testing negative.
Coral Princess is expected to stay at Circular Quay for a day, before returning to her home port of Brisbane.
The outbreak has forced Princess Cruises to issue refunds to those booked on the next 12-day cruise before it departs from Brisbane to Sydney on Monday.
A Princess Cruises spokesman on Tuesday said the crew who tested positive during a recent comprehensive examination were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.
Coral Princess is expected to stay at Circular Quay for a day, before returning to its home port of Brisbane (pictured, Ruby Princess at Circular Quay in March 2020)
The spread on the ship – which is a sister ship to the Ruby Princess that is linked to 28 deaths following an outbreak on board in 2020 – is the first incident to hit the local tourism industry since since it resumed post-pandemic voyages.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said procedures were in place on the ship before the outbreak.
She said some passengers are in isolation at home or in other accommodations, while authorities are helping the company manage infected employees on the plane.
“The virus is everywhere and there’s no way to get rid of it,” Ms. D’Ath said.
‘They will be testing staff more often at this time and also encourage any passengers with any symptoms to continue to get tested and they will also have to be isolated.’
Princess Cruises said it was ‘doing everything possible’ to ensure the safety of guests and crew.
A spokesperson told AAP: “We are following comprehensive protocols that have been agreed with federal and state agencies and we are confident they are working.
The ship sailed around Queensland on Sunday before arriving in NSW, where it is currently docked in Sydney
Protocols include routine screening of all crew, who must be fully vaccinated.
“If any crew members test positive, they will be isolated on board and have no contact with guests,” Princess Cruises said.
‘We recently advised our guests that during the most recent full screening of the crew, some have tested positive and this is being effectively managed according to the protocol. ours.
‘As guests look forward to their cruise vacation, we want them to have the confidence in knowing that everything possible is being done to ensure they do so in the safest environment possible.’
A NSW Health spokesperson said cruise operators have a responsibility to keep passengers and crew safe from infectious diseases including Covid-19, in line with Cruise Travel Protocols. Winter.
They said: ‘NSW Health is in contact with the Coral Princess cruise ship to monitor the health of passengers and crew members.
‘While a small number of passengers have been diagnosed with Covid since boarding the Coral Princess, it is very likely that they contracted the infection before boarding and subsequently tested positive.
The spread on Coral Princess is the first to hit the local cruise industry since it resumed sailings after the pandemic (pictured, the Radiance of the Seas cruise ship in Circular Quay in 2013)
‘The vast majority of cases on board now are crew members. All those who are positive for Covid are being isolated and cared for by the medical team on board. ‘
A spokesman said the ship was currently en route to the port of Eden on the South Coast of NSW. It is scheduled to return to Sydney again on Wednesday before heading north to Brisbane.
They said: ‘The NSW Health assessment is that the level of Covid risk for Coral Princess during this cruise is amber, which indicates a moderate impact on the ship.
‘No crew members will be disembarking and all disembarking passengers will be required to resubmit a negative RAT result first.
‘To further reduce the risk of transmission, passengers on shore tours will also be advised to wear face coverings when in transit or in other indoor public spaces, physically distancing where possible and regularly use hand sanitizer.’
In the photo: Guests wearing masks board the Coral Princess ship
Queensland recorded another 4804 cases on Monday, bringing the number of active cases to 40,589.
Among them, 782 are hospitalized (1.9% of active cases) and ten are in intensive care (0.025% of cases).
The former federal government banned cruise ships from entering Australian waters in March 2020 after 2700 passengers on board the Ruby Princess were allowed to disembark freely in Sydney Harbour, causing 900 cases and 28 cases. deaths across Australia.
The ban was lifted nearly two years later in April 2022 after the industry worked with federal and state governments to improve health and safety procedures for passengers and crew. .
In 2019, the cruise ship industry supported about 18,000 jobs and generated about $5 billion in direct and indirect revenue to the economy.
