The information I've read:
- Border Force is concerned with checking passports, preventing illegal entry etc. They don't make health assessments.
- Port Authority of NSW contacted Border Force with their concerns. Border Force contacted NSW Health.
- NSW Health spoke to authorities on the ship (the captain?) who provided a favourable report on the health of passengers. Ship said some had been tested for flu but advised that apart from one very ill passenger who required immediate hospital treatment, there were no major issues. Based on this information, NSW Health assessed the passengers as "low risk" and advised Border Force that they would not be sending staff to conduct onboard testing. This was the final box that needed to be ticked, and Border Force was then obliged to instruct Port Authority to allow the ship to dock, and passengers to disembark.
My reading based on the above:
- Border Force followed the book and are off the hook.
- NSW Health may have been negligent in not sending staff to test for the virus. One spokesperson defended his staff last week and said they were "tired after working long hours".
- Medical crew/captain/Carnival Australia may have provided false or misleading information to NSW Health, who made a flawed decision as a result.
One of the latter two is going to carry the can. Perhaps both.
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