More than a dozen new confirmed coronavirusn cases are linked to a cruise ship that was docked in Sydney before sick passengers were allowed to disembark.
NSW Health confirmed 18 passengers who were on board the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which docked in Sydney on March 19, tested positive to COVID-19.
All are in isolation, while all passengers and crew have been notified and asked to self-isolate for 14 days as investigations continue.
Eighteen new confirmed cases of coronavirus are linked to the a cruise ship after sick passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney Harbour (pictured at Circular Quay on Thursday)
The cruise liner had been considered ‘low risk’ after a short cruise from Australia to New Zealand
Beachgoers are seen at Bondi Beach on Friday (pictured) despite the threat of coronavirus
NSW Health on Sunday confirmed 97 new COVID-19 cases overnight, bringing the state’s tally to 533 and the national count to 1,316.
Several of the new cases were backpackers in the Bondi area – just a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison was forced to close the famous beach when thousands of people flouted social distancing measures.
‘Several new diagnoses of COVID-19 have been made in backpackers in the Bondi area,’ NSW Health said on Sunday in a statement.
‘There were two recent parties that some of the cases attended where the cases may have acquired their infections,’ a spokesman for NSW Health said.
Those two parties were the Boogie Wonderland party at the Bucket List on March 15 and a party at Club 77 on the same date.
The announcement comes after Mr Morrison condemned thousands of people who flouted the social distancing measures and flocked to Bondi Beach to soak up the sun this weekend.
NSW Health on Sunday confirmed 97 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state’s tally to 533
Partygoers who attended the Boogie Wonderland party at the Bucket List (pictured) on March 15 have been asked to self isolate
‘What happened at Bondi Beach yesterday was not OK and served as a message to federal and state leaders that too many Australians are not taking these issues seriously enough,’ he told reporters on Sunday.
Of those 533 confirmed NSW cases, 46 have been contracted locally without an identified source of infection.
A childcare worker from the Smeaton Grange Young Academics Centre has also been infected with COVID-19.
Any children or staff who went to the centre between March 2 and March 16 are being told to self isolate.
All beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs were closed on Sunday, including Bondi, Tamarama, Maroubra and Coogee.
The Northern Beaches Council on Sunday afternoon also closed Dee Why, Freshwater, Manly, Long Reef and Palm Beach due to the ‘high number of people gathering in some areas’.
Council mayor Michael Regan is urging the public to change their behaviour to ensure health and safety standards are being maintained.
‘We are trying to keep our public spaces open but we need the community to support us and follow the Federal Government rules, otherwise we have no choice but to act to ensure everyone’s health and safety, Cr Regan said in a statement on Sunday.
Scott Morrison said he will enforce ‘draconian’ measures for Australians who ignore social distancing rules
‘We are all in this together and every single person has a role to play. I ask everyone to consider the safety of themselves and others by avoiding public places especially ones they know will be busy, today and for the foreseeable future.’
NSW Police Minister David Elliott said about 450 people who showed up at Bondi Beach on Sunday morning were told to leave.
‘We are not doing this because we are the fun police. We don’t close these public spaces because we want to punish people,’ he told Channel 7’s Weekend Sunrise.
‘Some people are just stupid and want to take the risk. Some people think they are above the law.’
The beaches are closed after images of people cramming on to Bondi Beach were widely condemned amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said authorities may need to crack down even harder if people continue to ignore public health warnings.
Beachgoers seemingly ignored warnings about the closure of the beach on Sunday morning
‘What happened at Bondi Beach yesterday was not OK and served as a message to federal and state leaders that too many Australians are not taking these issues seriously enough,’ he told reporters on Sunday.
‘State premiers and chief ministers may have to take far more draconian measures to enforce social distancing.
‘The more Australians themselves assist us in this fight against the virus to protect lives and livelihoods, the more and better able we are to ensure that Australia comes out stronger on the other side.’
Under regulations introduced to control the spread of the deadly virus, outdoor gatherings of 500 people or more have been banned.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard urged young people to take the COVID-19 threat seriously, saying ‘the problem is just over the horizon, on the basis of the numbers that we’re now seeing’.
‘It’s a serious matter. Save yourself and save your family,’ Mr Hazzard told reporters on Saturday.
Rangers were on hand to help move people along from the beach on Sunday after Mr Morrison closed it due to lack of social distancing