Editorial
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On Sunday, there was much fanfare about the NSW Police Force Marine Area Command's "largest maritime operation undertaken in Sydney Harbour" to co-ordinate the crew movements and departure of five cruise ships.
'Operation Nemesis' saw the Spectrum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and the Celebrity Solstice depart NSW waters to return to their home countries. More than 1300 crew members, who were Foreign Nationals, were moved between the five ships in numerous operations, before the ships left.
Nothing though was said about the fact that the Ruby Princess - the largest single source of COVID-19 cases in NSW and responsible for 11 deaths - was preparing to travel down the coast to Port Kembla that very night. As Keira MP, and Labor's health spokesman Ryan Park put it: "It is unbelievable that in the cover of darkness the vessel that has been the epicentre of coronavirus in NSW sails into the harbour."
No-one would deny the crew members - 200 of whom reportedly have COVID-19 symptoms - the right to the medical attention they need. Yet unions, politicians - and many community members - are understandably angry about the lack of transparency around this operation; the lack of notice. Secrecy even.
There's also questions why the Ruby Princess would be sent to a regional port, rather than remain in Sydney where the largest number of hospital beds and resources are located. And concern about how this would affect local healthworkers, local hospitals - Wollongong in particular.
There is some reassurance, at least, in NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller's guarantee that the community will not be put at risk with the ship in port. And NSW health claims any patients requiring transfer will not automatically go to Wollongong Hospital, that they will be allocated to a hospital primarily in the Sydney metropolitan area.
However one can't help agreeing with the Keira MP that the NSW Government has "simply tried to dump its problems on to the people of the Illawarra".