"We are now suffering the consequences of cases here in New Zealand because of that cruise ship," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"We are now suffering the consequences of cases here in New Zealand because of that cruise ship," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell
New Zealand authorities are reviewing a damning report into the deadly Covid-19 outbreak among Ruby Princess passengers, as they investigate the cruise ship's visit here and subsequent cluster of cases.
A special inquiry was ordered by Australian authorities after 2647 passengers were allowed to leave the cruise liner in Sydney.
Within 24 hours, three Covid-19 tests performed on board returned positive and in the following weeks hundreds more passengers were confirmed as cases. Twenty-eight deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
The Ruby Princess visited New Zealand from March 11-15, visiting Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington and Napier before ending the planned itinerary early and returning to Sydney.
After its departure, a cluster of 25 cases, mostly in the Hawke's Bay and including rest home residents, was linked to a tour guide in contact with passengers. The cluster included people from the Waikato, Nelson Marlborough and Southern DHB region.
Kiwi passengers who disembarked in Sydney later experienced symptoms after flying home.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked for legal advice as to whether the ship met its obligations, and investigations are being led by Customs, including whether the appropriate declarations were made before arrival.
Ardern said the Hawke's Bay Medical Officer of Health had sought assurances from the ship's captain that anyone who was sick would remain on board.
Chief Customs Officer Nigel Barnes told the Herald the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry report was currently being reviewed.
"We will use its findings to inform our own investigation. Customs continues to liaise with Crown Law, the Ministry of Health, and Australian authorities.
"As our investigation is ongoing, we are not able to comment further at this time."
The Australian inquiry identified "serious", "inexcusable" and "inexplicable" mistakes by NSW Health in allowing the passengers to disembark and then travel to homes across Australia and other countries, including New Zealand.
Symptomatic passengers weren't identified as suspect cases and the Ruby Princess was wrongly classified as low risk, the inquiry concluded.
The risk that cruise ships posed in terms of Covid-19 outbreaks was made clear by mid-February in the form of the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined in Japan. Ultimately, 712 of 3711 passengers were infected, with 47 per cent asymptomatic at the time of testing. Thirteen passengers died.
The Ruby Princess completed a tour of New Zealand from February 24 to March 5. On March 4 the ship took on a crew member in Dunedin who had recently spent a two-week holiday in Genoa, Italy. This person was put in isolation at the request of public health officials.
Back in Sydney, health officials gave the ship's senior doctor 25 swabs for testing Covid-19 and asked her to collect specimens during the next voyage.
On March 11 the ship arrived in Fiordland for another New Zealand tour, with 2671 passengers and 1146 crew on board.
On March 13 and 14 five passengers were tested for Covid-19, with negative results returned from Wellington labs.
As the global pandemic worsened New Zealand banned cruise ships from midnight March 14, but the Ruby Princess was allowed to travel on from Wellington to Napier, given it was already in NZ waters.
On March 15 passengers were told the ship would make an early return to Sydney.
Other Covid-19 swabs were taken at sea, on March 16, 17 and 18. Some taken from each of those days were confirmed as positive, but only after passengers were disembarked.
The Ruby Princess is linked to Covid-19 clusters in both NZ and Australia. Cartoon / Rod Emmerson
Australian health authorities assessed the ship as low risk, noting the Wellington Covid tests were negative, and a further15 swabs would be tested "just to be cautious".
The Ruby Princess left Sydney with 27 testing swabs and used 18 to check for Covid-19. The inquiry found evidence of difficulties in sourcing more swabs, with the ship's doctor emailing a health official to say during the February 24 cruise: "I tried to obtain [more] in New Zealand, but they were not as forthcoming as I had hoped they would be."
In a statement made after the release of the inquiry report, Princess Cruises said it "confirms that none of our people – the captain, the ship's doctor, or members of our shoreside port agency teams – misled public authorities involved in Ruby Princess being permitted to disembark guests on March 19".
"We acknowledge the commission's specific comments about Carnival and we will consider these comments to the fullest possible extent," the company stated.
"Princess Cruises also welcomes the commission's attention to improving information sharing and co-ordination among government agencies in the future."
