The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has accused NSW Health of endangering port workers by failing to contain a coronavirus outbreak on the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

On March 19 NSW Health allowed 2700 people to leave the Ruby Princess cruise ship in before testing was completed. Four cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on the day the ship arrived in Sydney, and that number has since risen to 133. One elderly woman has died.

MUA Assistant Secretary Paul Garrett tells Ray Hadley the ship was brought into Sydney Harbour just after 2am, alleging NSW Health “tried to bring the ship in under the cover of darkness”.

“The long and the short of it is that the Department of Health has lied.”

Mr Garrett says it’s unusual for a ship to dock before dawn, and the norm is to remain in port between 5am and 5pm.

“[They] had ambulances sitting by the wharf, but for some reason the Department of Health didn’t feel they needed to notify the Port Authority about that, and they left our members exposed.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty/James D. Morgan

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