NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has publicly apologised for the "horrible mistakes" made during the Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco, which led to the spread of COVID-19 across the country.
Ms Berejiklian read the findings of an inquiry report over the weekend after it was released to the public on Friday afternoon.
"I now apologise unreservedly to anyone who suffered as a result of the mistakes outlined in the report undertaken by health department individuals," she told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
"In particular, the 62 people who got the virus in a secondary way."
The special commission of inquiry headed by Bret Walker SC identified a series of "inexcusable", "inexplicable" and "unjustifiable" errors made by NSW authorities before and after 2700 cruise ship passengers were allowed to disembark into Sydney's Circular Quay in March.
In the report, Mr Walker reserved his harshest criticism for NSW Health, while relieving Australian Border Force officials of blame for the debacle.
The ship - which was low on medical supplies and swabs for COVID-19 tests due to shortages - left Sydney on 8 March for New Zealand and returned 11 days later.
Passengers were allowed to disembark before the results of 13 expedited tests, which showed at least three people had the virus, were received.
Passengers disembark from the Ruby Princess at Circular Quay in Sydney. Source: AAP
The delay was "inexcusable" and the swabs should have been tested immediately, Mr Walker said.
He found the NSW government also erred by allowing the disembarked passengers to immediately travel interstate and abroad, breaching a new public health order.
"Ultimately, every passenger and crew member of the Ruby Princess should have been tested for COVID-19 while in enforced quarantine," the report said.
The inquiry revealed the Ruby Princess outbreak infected 663 passengers and led to 28 deaths, including 20 in Australia and eight in the United States.
Separate NSW Police and coronial inquiries into the Ruby Princess are ongoing and not expected to report back for at least another month.
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