SYDNEY: Australia’s Health Minister Brad Hazzard said several passengers onboard Ruby Princess cruise ship had tested positive to COVID-19 since it docked.

He said there were major concerns for passengers that disembarked from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in Sydney.

The cruise ship is currently off the coast between Sydney and Wollongong.

According to reports, one of the passengers is in a serious condition in a hospital in Sydney while another passenger traveled to Tasmania.

A passenger in the ship, Tasmanian woman, also tested positive for COVID-19. She is being treated in Sydney, according to the Public Health Service.

There were a total of 54 passengers from the island state on-board the ship.

Another person was the ship’s crew member and remains onboard in quarantine.

(With inputs from Agencies)