The Health Minister whose department let thousands of untested passengers waltz into Sydney from a coronavirus infected cruise ship has refused to condemn the decision.
In a trainwreck interview with Sky News host Sharri Markson, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard would not concede the decision to let 2700 passengers off the Ruby Princess in March was wrong.
More than 600 people linked to the vessel have been infected with coronavirus and ten people have died making it one of the biggest health bungles in the state’s history.
But in the exclusive interview Mr Hazzard levelled the bizarre defense of the decision that the four doctors who made the call were very senior and one consulted for the World Health Organisation.
He also went as far to claim the community should be “satisfied” with his handling of the incident.
“The community should be satisfied that we had the best of the best making the decision,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Sharri I’m sure when you go to a physician you take their health advice.
“They made the decision on the basis of what they considered appropriate and you know what if you’ve got the best of the best making decisions it’s a bit hard for us all to be challenging that decision.”
He said he “would have preferred” the catastrophic health bungle did not happen but when asked whether he now conceded letting thousands of untested passengers into Sydney was wrong, Mr Hazzard bluntly responded “no”.
“That is not a decision for me or for you or for anybody else except for physicians of equal calibre to make that decision and I think it is important at a time we are all in effect in the firing line of what is an unprecedented attack by a virus that is quite potent that we shore up and give confidence to our doctors that we believe what they are doing.”
The Australian Border Force released emails confirming NSW Health agreed to release the passengers in March, a decision the ABF maintained was done without a single COVID-19 test.
A criminal investigation has since been launched into the bungle which was responsible for a large proportion of Australia’s deaths and total cases.
Image: News Corp Australia
