The resident does not have any symptoms, Ms Ferguson wrote according to a letter circulated among the aged care centre on Saturday and obtained by the Herald. “The resident was already self-isolating as they had travelled overseas,” Ms Ferguson wrote. “As an additional precaution, we have moved the resident away from Uniting Arrunga to a hotel. “As the resident has no symptoms, we have been advised that no other residents or staff are required to self-isolate. “As a precautionary measure, one staff member is self-isolating due to a higher level of contact with the resident.”

A number of aged-care facilities in the state late last week banned visitors entirely because the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Loading A nursing home in Macquarie Park, near Uniting Arrunga in Ermington, was badly affected as the virus spread through Sydney. A 90-year-old was the latest of three people at the Dorothy Henderson Lodge to die from the virus after having initially tested negative. The two other residents of the lodge in Macquarie Park also died, with a 95-year-old woman succumbing to the coronavirus on March 4 and an 82-year-old man on March 8.

Other passengers aboard the Ruby Princess said they were still encouraged to meet in large numbers for meals and at concerts "while the rest of the world was ... in lockdown." Glen and Marjorie Willardson, from Salt Lake City, Utah, said they had raised concerns with two passenger service representatives, expressing that they felt the cruise "should not be continuing on," but they were told all was well. "People were coughing and sneezing all around us ... and we continued to meet in large numbers in the dining rooms, the large theatre for evening entertainment, the buffet area, and all around the ship ...when the rest of the world was in an epidemic and lockdown,” Mr Willardson said. When the ship’s commodore announced last Sunday that the Australian government had ordered the ship back to Sydney early, Mr Willardson said he and his wife "cheered." "We had been stressed beyond measure about what was happening on board," he said.

A spokesman for Princess Cruises said its onboard medical team was "rigorous" in treating some guests who reported flu-like symptoms. "In line with protocols [the team] reported these cases to NSW Health, which in turn requested swabs," he said. "Notwithstanding this assessment, tests for COVID-19 are not conducted on cruise ships. The protocol is for swabs to be tested by the relevant public health authority and this was done." He added that the cruise was regarded as low risk for COVID-19, "as NSW Health has stated publicly." On Thursday around 2700 passengers were allowed to disembark without being questioned about their health, because the vessel had been deemed "low risk" by NSW Health as it had come from New Zealand. A day later, four passengers tested positive for coronavirus.

The total number of confirmed cases among passengers is 26, with 17 passengers and one crew member diagnosed in NSW and another eight passengers who are now interstate. Brad Hazzard said on Saturday that in hindsight he would have kept the 2700 passengers on board the Ruby Princess, while his federal counterpart Greg Hunt criticised NSW for not following correct procedures. On Saturday evening an additional 97 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in NSW, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 533. As well as the Ruby Princess, another four cruise ships that recently docked in Sydney have been linked to confirmed cases. Loading

One case each on two separate Voyager of the Seas cruises, which docked on March 7 and March 18, two cases on the Ovation of the Seas, which also docked on March 18, and one case reported in New Zealand from the Celebrity Solstice, which docked on March 20. NSW Health on Sunday night released a statement saying the assessments on cruise ships entering the state's ports has exceeded federal government protocols. "NSW Health undertook a full assessment of the Ruby Princess, notwithstanding under the National Protocol in place, it could have chosen not to do an assessment," a NSW Health spokesman said. "NSW Health again followed the National Protocol that states 'the ship may be allowed to continue the voyage while samples are being tested'." The spokesman said NSW Health will go beyond the national and state protocols and will hold all ships in port until any patients highlighted as having respiratory issues are tested for COVID-19.

No further passengers are expected to dock in Sydney, only crew. "All passengers and crew have been notified and advised to self-isolate for 14 days and monitor symptoms. Investigations are continuing." A spokesman for the federal Department of Agriculture said all four cruise ships had "complied with their pre-arrival reporting requirements under the Biosecurity Act 2015". Ruby Princess reported 128 people on board who became ill or showed signs of illness in the 14 days prior to reporting, while Voyager of the Seas reported 81 people and Celebrity Solstice reported 11. The spokesman said illnesses that are reported include those that are "not listed human diseases" such as gastroenteritis.