Likely patient zero of Ruby Princess coronavirus outbreak revealed
An infected Ruby Princess crew member who handled food could be the most likely source of the cruise ship's mass coronavirus outbreak.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the investigation into the handling of the Ruby Princess had so far linked the spread of COVID-19 on board to a crew member who likely worked with food.
"At this stage, we would think that it was probably a crew member working in the galley," he told reporters on Monday.
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"Someone that would be across a number of passengers for it to spread like it has."
Comm Fuller stressed that it hadn't yet been proven, but suggested it was "the most obvious point of transmission".
The police boss expects to give NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian an estimated timeline for their criminal investigation into the fiasco on Tuesday morning.
NSW Police have gathered over 220 new leads since calling for anyone with information to come forward.
But Comm Fuller said chasing up and verifying that information could take at least two months.
"At its best, we could have 2500 witnesses that police could speak to in relation to this," he said.
The Ruby Princess, which departed Sydney on March 8 for New Zealand and returned on March 19, is responsible for hundreds of COVID-19 cases nationwide and at least 18 deaths, including two in NSW on Monday.
Passengers were permitted to disembark in Sydney without adequate health checks, an action blamed by the Australian Border Force on NSW health authorities.
More than 1000 foreign crew members remain on board the ship which is docked at Port Kembla, near Wollongong.
About 66 crew members have been infected with coronavirus, with 11 evacuated to NSW hospitals.
Comm Fuller said while some crew members are happy to stay on the vessel, police are offering to assist in repatriation efforts with possible charter flights paid for by cruise line operator Carnival.
"We're making every effort to get people home," he said.
"If someone is clear of the virus they can certainly fly with normal restrictions."
Meanwhile, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says it's unfortunate 2700 passengers boarded the Ruby Princess cruise ship at a time when the coronavirus pandemic was already front and centre in the community's consciousness.
"It is a very unfortunate outcome but at the time that that ship sailed, which was March 8 from memory, there was COVID-19 well and truly," Mr Hazzard said.
"Journalists were talking about it and I as health minister was working hard on it, and it is unfortunate that people went out cruising at that particular point."
Mr Hazzard repeated the view of NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant who previously said more infections could have occurred if passengers had not departed the ship.
He also backed the decision of authorities to release the passengers, saying their expertise should not be called into question.
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