New York
Covid-19 cases have been confirmed on two cruise ships that visited Akaroa recently.
Fifty-six Kiwis were on board one of the ships – the Ruby Princess – which arrived in Sydney with four coronavirus cases after a New Zealand trip that included a stop in Akaroa.
The Princess Cruises-operated ship returned to Sydney on Thursday with 1100 crew and 2700 passengers on board.
It was supposed to arrive in Tauranga on Monday morning but was re-directed to Australia, bypassing its visits to Tauranga and Auckland.
In a release, the Ministry of Health said it was contacting 56 New Zealanders who were on board the ship.
The ship visited Tauranga, Picton, Akaroa, Port Chalmers and Fiordland.
Health officials will be working with Australian counterparts to detail what the passenger did while on board.
Any New Zealanders on board returning to New Zealand will be regarded as close contacts, put in self-isolation and monitored daily.
A Princess Cruises statement reportedly said that those who tested positive were “among a group of guests and crew members who had reported flu-like symptoms during the cruise”.
“All, along with their cabin occupants, had been in isolation onboard the ship, which minimised any contact with other guests or crew.”