NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has guaranteed the safety of Illawarra residents after the arrival of the controversial Ruby Princess on Monday morning.
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The ship has become the single-largest source of COVID-19 cases in the state - more than 620 - since it docked in Sydney last month.
There have also been 11 deaths linked to the ship.
On Sunday, before the Ruby Princess arrived in Port Kembla around 8am on Monday, two more crew were removed from the ship and admitted to NSW hospitals.
Commissioner Fuller said the ship - which will be in port for up to 10 days - had docked to refuel and resupply, and make it easier to remove any ill passengers.
"They do have the capacity of managing up to 200 people who are symptomatic," he said of the ship's medical set-up.
"I've given a guarantee that when they reach that we will continue to sensibly take off small numbers to ensure that no-one's lives are in jeopardy."
There were reports of helicopters airlifting passengers from the ship to Wollongong Hospital, but a police spokesperson said no "medical evacuations" had taken place on Monday.
An Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District spokeswoman said passengers requiring hospitalisation would be "allocated to a hospital primarily in the Sydney metropolitan area".
"There are currently no patients from the Ruby Princess within the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District hospital facilities," the spokeswoman said.
The police commissioner said there was no need for residents in the Illawarra to hold any fears of contracting coronavirus due to the presence of the Ruby Princess in Port Kembla.
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"Whilst it is a very infectious disease, the ship presents no threat to the local community," Commissioner Fuller said.
"I will ensure that. I will ensure there will be security and that no-one's lives are put at risk."
On top of the existing condition that every vehicle entering the port has to pass through a checkpoint, the area around berth 104 has been cordoned off.
The rest of the port will operate as normal while the Ruby Princess is present.
NSW Ports said any ships entering the port from high-risk regions has to be at sea for 14 days before being allowed to dock.
The Ruby Princess is the fifth cruise ship to dock at Port Kembla since the arrival of the Carnival Spirit on March 28.
"We have used Port Kembla extensively over the course of this operation to refuel and resupply ships," Commissioner Fuller said.
A criminal investigation was launched on Sunday into last month's disembarking of the Ruby Princess.
Labor's health spokesman Ryan Park was unhappy that a ship with so many passengers requiring medical help had docked in Wollongong rather than Sydney.
"This government has simply tried to dump its problems on to the people of the Illawarra when we already have a hospital system under strain and a limited availability of resources," Mr Park said.
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