XPost: rec.travel.cruises, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, aus.politics   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: bksherman@latimes.com   
      
   Australian police have launched a criminal probe into the   
   handling of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, the source of more   
   than 30 percent of the country’s COVID-19 deaths.   
      
   The ship left Sydney on March 8, the same day the U.S. Centers   
   for Disease Control and Prevention and State Department warned   
   all Americans to avoid cruise travel, and returned to Sydney on   
   March 19. Around 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark   
   without medical screening, despite some showing symptoms of   
   COVID-19. Since then, hundreds have tested positive and 11 have   
   died, according to The Guardian.   
      
   New South Wales police announced Sunday that the agency’s   
   homicide squad will be leading the investigation into whether   
   the ship’s arrival in Sydney on March 19 violated the country’s   
   laws.   
      
   Investigators will probe the relevant government agencies, like   
   the port authority, and Carnival Corporation, Princess Cruises’   
   parent company.   
      
   The police commissioner Mick Fuller said at a Sunday press   
   conference the situation has left “many unanswered questions.”   
      
   “Was Carnival or crew transparent in contextualizing the true   
   patient/crew health conditions relevant to COVID-19?” he said.   
   “They [Australian authorities] made contact with operations   
   manager from Carnival and on each case they were informed that   
   COVID-19 wasn’t an issue on the ship.”   
      
   The company said in a statement that it will “vigorously   
   respond” to any allegations.   
      
   Of the 1,043 crew members who remain on board the ship, Princess   
   Cruises said 35-40 are being observed by the medical staff. As   
   many as 235 crew members have had COVID-19 symptoms since March   
   8, and 87 have recovered, the company said. Australian police   
   said that 16 crew members have tested positive so far.   
      
   “It is heading in the right direction and we feel comfortable   
   that the proactive onboard measures have contained any illness,   
   which we are treating as if coronavirus,” said spokesperson   
   Negin Kamali via email.   
      
   The Ruby Princess cruise ship sits docked on April 06, 2020 in   
   Port Kembla, Australia. A criminal investigation will be   
   launched by police into the handling of the Ruby Princess, which   
   was allowed to dock in Sydney on 19 March and let 2,700   
   passengers disembark without quarantine measures or checks   
   despite some showing COVID-19 symptoms. (Photo by Mark   
   Metcalfe/Getty Images) MARK METCALFE GETTY IMAGES   
      
   https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-   
   cruises/article241782721.html   
      
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