The operators of a Norwegian cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbour say there is “no truth” to reports of a potential coronavirus case among its passengers.

Reports emerged on Friday morning that NSW Health was testing a Singaporean man onboard The Norwegian Jewel, but cruise operators have denied this.

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“This morning there were various false media reports related to an illness onboard our ship,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokeswoman told 7NEWS.com.au.

“There is absolutely no truth to those stories. We have no guests with any respiratory-related illness onboard.

“The vessel remains in operation, and all guests onboard are in good health.”

Norwegian Cruise Line. Credit: 7NEWS

A NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement that one person had been tested for a range of respiratory illnesses.

These included novel coronavirus.

Results returned about 3pm showed the testing was negative.

The department did say that, although no passengers had visited mainland China in the past 14 days, everyone would be screened for the illness as part of a routine assessment.

This was similar to precautions being undertaken at Sydney Airport.

“As is routine in these circumstances, testing was done as a precaution, as there is no indication that the person is at particular risk of CoVID-19,” the spokesperson said.

A total of three people were transferred to hospital from the ship - all of which were pre-booked by the cruise company/

‘No truth’

Norwegian Cruise Line reiterated the “safety, security and well being of our guests and crew is our number one priority”.

“During Norwegian Jewel’s sailing from Auckland to Sydney, a few guests onboard experienced a stomach-related illness,” the cruise line said in a statement.

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“To mitigate any impact of this rare occurrence, we implemented stringent sanitation procedures.

“As such, upon the ship’s return to Sydney on Friday, February 14, 2020, a thorough inspection and rigorous cleaning and disinfection of the ship and terminal were conducted.”

The ship is scheduled to depart on Friday for a 14-day cruise around Australia and New Zealand.

Reports

The Australian newspaper reported on Friday a Singaporean man onboard had fallen ill with respiratory symptoms and was being checked after the ship docked in Sydney.

Norwegian Jewel is currently docked at Circular Quay and is not in lockdown.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it was currently barring all Chinese, Hong Kong and Macau passport holders from its ships regardless of residency.

- With AAP