Thousands of Australians disembarked coronavirus-infected cruise ships and spent as long as four days exposed to the community before being told to self-isolate.
Passengers on board four ships – the Ovation of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice, Ruby Princess and Voyager of the Seas – arrived in Sydney in the past week, with passengers claiming they were ‘waved through’ without facing health screenings.
The ships, which docked between March 18 and March 20, were each carrying passengers who were later diagnosed with the deadly virus, with cases linked to the Ruby Princess now climbing to 48.
Cathy Kleim-Meulman along with her husband Bill (pictured) were among thousands allowed to disembark four cruise ships in Sydney in the past week without being subjected to health tests. All of the ships were carrying passengers who later tested positive to the coronavirus
Ovation of the Seas passengers had been told by New South Wales Health upon their return to Australia they did not need to self-isolate.
The cruise ship had left Sydney on March 11 bound for New Zealand but was forced to turn around on March 15 when the country closed its borders.
Cathy Kleim-Meulman was one of those on-board the ship, along with her husband Bill, and said life had been as normal until the Ovation of the Seas turned back towards Sydney.
‘We were all anxious, we didn’t know what was going to happen. We didn’t actually know whether we could get off in Sydney,’ she told 7.30.
‘We were told we were fine when we got off. We just hopped off and went straight home. And that’s what happened.’
The ship docked in Sydney last Wednesday but it wasn’t until Sunday they were told to self-quarantine.
There were five confirmed cases linked to the ship as of Monday night.
‘It sort of hit us pretty hard when we realised that we could have actually been spreading something that we didn’t mean to,’ Ms Kleim-Meulman said.
Ms Kleim-Meulman said she had been ‘anxious’ about whether the cruise ship (pictured docked in Circular Quay on Wednesday) would be allowed back into Sydney but was told she was fine to go when the ship arrived
Ruby Princess passengers Ben Hardimon and fiancee Channese Pintar were among 2,700 travellers to get off their cruise in Sydney on Thursday without being tested.
‘It was just rush, rush, getting off,’ Mr Hardimon told the ABC program.
‘Basically, from the moment we left the ship to where we were waiting for the shuttle bus was about only six or seven minutes. [They] didn’t check passports or anything.
‘[They] didn’t ask if we had any fevers or any health checks or that. It was just straight on down.’
Several hours passed until Mr Hardimon was told to self-isolate by email.
At total of 48 coronavirus cases have since been linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship, including 27 who remain in New South Wales.
Among them was Tamworth man Greg Butler.
Mr Butler told the Daily Telegraph he was waved through security without any health checks when he disembarked.
‘They didn’t check bags, they didn’t check passports… We could have brought a bag of heroin in and walked straight through with it,’ he said.
There are 48 coronavirus cases linked to the Ruby Princess including Tamworth man Greg Butler (pictured)
Despite some passengers feeling sick, no one had their temperature checked and Mr Butler was allowed to travel home on public transport, he said.
It was not until the following day he was told of the confirmed cases on board before he began to feel symptoms himself.
‘They’ve just let nearly 3,000 people into the city, God knows how many people had the virus,’ Mr Butler said.
He has since had a bad headache, cough, and felt pins and needles throughout his body.
The NSW government also allowed the Ruby Princess to dock in Sydney Harbour on March 19 as it was considered low risk
The federal government announced earlier this month a 30-day ban on cruise ship arrivals, although an exemption was granted to four vessels including the Ruby Princess which were already on their way to Australia.
NSW Health Director of Communicable Diseases Vicky Sheppeard said tougher restrictions had been implemented as a result of the confirmed infections.
If any passengers present with a respiratory illness from a cruise ship, she said no-one on the ship is allowed to disembark until a COVID-19 swab on those showing symptoms comes back negative.
1,716 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Australia as of Monday night, including 704 in New South Wales
The government suspended all cruise ships – however some, such as the Ruby Princess, have only just completed their trips
The Defence Force has vowed to help NSW health officials track down infected passengers from the Ruby Princess.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said ‘Contract Tracing Support Teams’ are being set up across Australia.
Their role is to help NSW Health find people who may have come into contact with a positive COVID-19 patient.
‘A team of ADF personnel (has been) supporting NSW Health from yesterday,’ she said.