Cruise ship responsible for jump in Australia coronavirus cases

William WEST / AFP

Australia reported a jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 130 of them from a cruise ship that was allowed to disembark in Sydney.

 

One of the passengers became the eighth fatality nationally.

New South Wales officials, over the weekend, admitted that allowing about 2,700 passengers of Ruby Princess cruise ship to disembark in Sydney was a "mistake".

Officials on Tuesday announced that efforts were on to trace other travellers to test them and track their movements.

It comes as Australia steps closer to a full lockdown, warning people of harsher penalties if they were found violating self-isolation orders.

So far, the country has 2,136 confirmed cases. 

More from International News

  • Thousands of Australians without power as cyclone Alfred hits

    Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia's Queensland state were without power on Sunday after Alfred, a downgraded tropical cyclone, brought damaging winds and heavy rains, sparking flood warnings.

  • Israeli airstrike kills two in southern Gaza

    An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, medical sources said, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend a shaky 42-day ceasefire agreed in January between Israel and Hamas.

  • 12 people injured in Toronto pub shooting

    Toronto Police said early on Saturday they were searching for three male suspects in a shooting that injured at least 12 people at a pub in the Canadian city.

  • Cyclone Alfred downgraded as millions stay indoors

    Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the south-east Australian coast on Saturday and forecasters said Brisbane is likely to miss the worst of the storm, a relief for millions of residents in the region who have been staying indoors.