Australia Covid-19 death toll doubles – 11 of those linked to Ruby Princess cruise now under investigation

AUSTRALIA is reported to now have 5,744 confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and the death toll from the disease stands at 37. At least 11 of those deaths and 600 cases are linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which docked at Port Kembla in News South Wales (NSW) on Sunday morning.

NSW police have confirmed that there are around 1,040 crew members from 50 different countries still on the ship, with around a fifth of passengers with Covid-19 symptoms. The ship is receiving fresh supplies and everyone on board will be tested so healthy crew members can be repatriated, confirmed NSW police.

The Australian police also announced a criminal investigation to examine if the ship’s operator, Carnival Australia, downplayed potential coronavirus cases when it arrived in Sydney last month to pick up passengers.

NSW now accounts for 2,637 of the country’s total Covid-19 cases. However, the local health authority confirmed that the number of new coronavirus cases dropped at the weekend.