A holiday cruise ship carrying approximately 800 people with Covid-19 stopped in Sydney, Australia.
After sailing from New Zealand, the Majestic Princess cruise liner arrived at Circular Quay.
When the ship docked, there were approximately 4,600 passengers and crew on board, which meant that approximately one in every five had Covid.
The outbreak is similar to the early 2020 Ruby Princess cruise liner Covid incident, in which at least 900 individuals tested positive and 28 perished.
Marguerite Fitzgerald, the president of the cruise operator Carnival Australia, said a large number of cases started to be detected about halfway through the 12-day voyage.
All cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, she said.
Staff would be assisting all guests who have tested positive “with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period”, she said. The ship will soon depart for Melbourne.
Asked about comparisons between the Majestic Princess and the Ruby Princess – which also belongs to the same operator – Ms Fitzgerald said: “Since then, we as a community have learnt a lot, a lot more about Covid.”
The outbreak comes as Covid cases rise across Australia.
In New South Wales, 19,800 new cases were detected in the seven days to Friday.