Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram says NSW Health is to blame for allowing passengers to disembark a cruise ship carrying dozens of infectious people.

Passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship were allowed to leave freely when it docked in Sydney last Thursday.

About 13 passengers showed respiratory symptoms before three tested positive.

In the days following, more than 130 of Australia’s coronavirus cases have been linked to the ship, including the country’s eighth fatality.

In the video below: Cruise ship passenger becomes Australia’s eighth COVID-19 fatality

Play Video A 70-year-old passenger from the Ruby Princess cruise ship has become Australia's 8th COVID-19 death A 70-year-old passenger from the Ruby Princess cruise ship has become Australia's 8th COVID-19 death

Government organisations have been passing the blame around when asked who allowed the ship to arrive in Sydney Harbour.

Outram has now revealed it was NSW Health that gave the green light for the ship to dock.

“They (NSW Health) stated to Ruby Princess you are free to disembark tomorrow,” he told reporters during a rare press conference on Wednesday.

“However, according to the guidance, all passengers must go to self-isolation for 14 days.”

Border Force commissioner Michael Outram. Credit: AAP

NSW Health authorities decided against boarding the vessel and taking samples themselves, saying it was “low risk”, according to Outram.

“They decided they didn’t need to attend and had given clearance to passengers to disembark the vessel.

“That red light had just gone green.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard (left) and NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant Credit: JOEL CARRETT / AAPIMAGE

He then bluntly said: “The protocol worked very well. What broke down, in this case, was health officers, trained doctors or nurses didn’t get on board the vessel, swab passengers and take their swabs for results.

“Which is why when they spoke to New South Wales Health ... on Friday night, they said the way that vessel was handled was done very, very well.

“Had that occurred in this case, what happened wouldn’t have happened.”

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NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant, however, said symptoms had not presented until the day of disembarkation or later.

As such, she says, there was nothing more NSW Health could have done.

“Those passengers recognising symptoms have been infected on the ship, and no action by NSW Health or otherwise could alter that,” Chant told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

“The cases we are reporting now occurred and were exposed on the ship - there’s no action NSW Health could’ve undertaken to prevent those people acquiring the disease.”

She said a full report into the incident would be compiled and released to the public.

‘Gobsmacking’

Labor responded with a scathing assessment, saying the Morrison government’s handling of the Ruby Princess issue was “calamitous” and “gobsmacking”.

The opposition’s spokeswoman for home affairs and immigration, Kristina Keneally, accused the prime minister of breaking his word, by allowing the coronavirus-infected ship to dock in Sydney last week.

“On March 15, the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced ‘the Australian government will ban cruise ships from foreign ports arriving at Australian ports’,” she said.

“Those were the prime minister’s exact words. He looked us in the eye and said there would be no more cruise ships.

“Except there was...Just four days later, 2,700 people disembarked that cruise ship and now we have seen the disastrous results.”

Mixed messages

Keneally said Border Force was acting on “mixed messages” from the government when it allowed passengers to disembark.

“We need to ask, we need to demand how this happened and we need to ensure it does not happen again,” she said.