WEB DESK
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister today reassured the public that COVID-19 protocols were adequate after a cruise ship with hundreds of infected passengers docked in Sydney. Carnival Australia’s Majestic Princess cruise ship was docked in Sydney, New South Wales, with ‘in the vicinity’ of 800 passengers on board testing positive to the virus, the company said. State health authorities rated the outbreak’s risk level at ‘Tier 3’, indicating a high level of transmission.
The incident has sparked comparisons with a notorious 2020 outbreak onboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship. That outbreak, also in New South Wales, led to 914 infections and 28 deaths, an inquiry found. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the authorities have created ‘regular protocols’ in the wake of the Ruby Princess episode. She said New South Wales Health would take the lead on determining how to get passengers off the Majestic Princess on a case by case basis. The outbreak comes as COVID-19 cases rise across Australia, reflecting community transmission of the Omicron variant XBB, the federal government said this week.