Cruise Ship With Some 800 COVID-Infected Passengers Docs Sydney

The Majestic Princess cruise ship with about 800 passengers infected with COVID-19 has docked in Sydney Harbor, the ABC broadcaster reported on Saturday.

According to the report, Australian health authorities are working with the operators of the cruise ship with 3,300 passengers and 1,000 crew aboard as it is at the highest coronavirus alert possible for those on board.

Many people have already disembarked from the ship after testing negative for COVID-19, the report said.

Marguerite Fitzgerald, the president of cruise operator Carnival Australia, said that there were some 800 people infected with coronavirus aboard the ship.

"This is a 12-day voyage and we started to see elevated cases about halfway through... Reflective of the increase in community transmissions, we too have seen more guests test positive for COVID-19 on the current voyage of Majestic Princess. This is a result of mass testing of our 3,300 guests," Fitzgerald said, as quoted by the broadcaster.

She added that the majority of passengers were mild or asymptomatic and had been isolating in their rooms during the trip.

Australia is experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases, with a 47.3% increase in coronavirus incidence compared to last week, according to the Department of Health and Aged Care. Last week, Australia recorded 54,661 new cases, with an average of 7,809 cases per day.