Ruby Princess death toll climbs to 12 as passenger, 84, on board the doomed cruise dies from coronavirus - sparking calls for ships to leave Australian waters and NEVER come back
- A man in his 80s confirmed to have died of coronavirus in Western Australia
- Western Australia recorded seven new confirmed cases on Monday, total of 460
- All cases in the state have been linked to cruise ships or international travel
- The 84-year-old man had been a passenger on the Ruby Princess cruise
An 84-year-old passenger from the Ruby Princess has become the 12th death from the doomed cruise, sparking calls for ships to leave Australian waters and never return.
The man, who died in Royal Perth Hospital, was one of the nearly 3,000 passengers who disembarked the ship in Sydney on March 19.
Of Western Australia's seven new COVID-19 cases overnight, six are linked to cruise ships and one a health worker in the Kimberley region who travelled overseas but did not return to work, taking the state's total to 460.
Health Minister Roger Cook says the new ship cases related to three other vessels, including the Artania, which is quarantining at Fremantle with hundreds of crew on board.
A man in his 80s has died of coronavirus in Perth , bringing Australia's death toll to 40
The ship is linked to more than 50 previously confirmed cases and the death of a 69-year-old foreign man last week.
Premier Mark McGowan says recent vision of passengers gathering on deck before disembarking and flying back to Europe showed isolation directions had not been followed.
'Now we have people who have the illness who are in hospitals or potentially back in Germany, so that is a big problem,' he said on Monday when asked if he believed the Artania's operator had been negligent.
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He reiterated he wanted the ship to leave as soon as possible, 'never to return'.
Of 58 people in hospital in WA, 18 are in intensive care, while 162 people have recovered.
'We have seen no hard evidence of sustained community transmission,' Mr Cook said.
The 84-year-old man who died in Royal Perth Hospital is one of 12 fatalities among the nearly 3000 passengers who disembarked from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in Sydney last month. The ship is pictured at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, on Monday
'The department is still working through the contact tracing details of the new cases, but this is what we know at the moment.'
'Seven new cases overnight are aged between 41 and 79 years.'
The state has also seen 162 people recover from COVID-19.
A man in his 50s and woman in her 80s both died in Victoria overnight from the virus, bringing the state's total number of deaths to ten, with 23 new cases.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia has risen to 5,795.
Earlier on Monday New South Wales authorities announced a 86-year-old man and an 85-year-old man died over the weekend.
New South Wales recorded 51 new cases on Sunday as the number of new cases per day continues to decline.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the positive numbers mean restrictions can be relaxed 'down the track', although she did not say when.
'We have already started focusing on recovery, on what we can do as we emerge out of this difficult time,' she said.
The Ruby Princess cruise ship is docked in Port Kembla, near Wollongong, as a criminal investigation begins
The Ruby Princess cruise ship is docked in Port Kembla, near Wollongong, as a criminal investigation begins.
The investigation led by the NSW police homicide squad aims to find out why passengers were allowed to disembark from the ship in Sydney on March 19 and disperse around the country, despite concerns some might have contracted the illness.
It will cover the actions of the port authority, ambulance, police, NSW Health and ship operator Carnival Australia.
The ship is expected to spend up to 10 days in Port Kembla as its 1040 crew members undergo medical assessments, treatment or emergency extractions.
Some 200 have symptoms of the illness. Two of the crew members were taken off the ship yesterday for medical assistance.
'We will continue to make sure there's the highest level of security for the locals down in southern NSW,' NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said on Monday.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia has risen to 5,795 (Pictured: Medical professionals administer COVID-19 tests at the Bondi Beach drive-through COVID-19 testing center on Monday)
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