A new account of the Ruby Princess debacle has been released exposing the spectacular quarantine failure that stopped the nation.

Award winning investigative journalist Duncan McNab has published a book titled The Ruby Princess, retelling the fiasco which led to 28 deaths.

“There was a much bigger story to tell and that’s what I set out to do,” McNab told 6PR’s Gareth Parker.

2,700 passengers disembarked from the ship on March 19 last year with many unknowingly carrying the coronavirus.

Passengers dispersed around city, causing one of the most catastrophic outbreaks in the early months of the pandemic.

“It was a cascade of failures on behalf of NSW Health and also the people on board the cruise line who didn’t update NSW Health with the deepening health crisis on board,” McNab said.

“The greatest problem with the Ruby Princess is that it sailed on the 8th of March, as the world was closing down with the pandemic.

“Had it not sailed that day the entire debacle wouldn’t have happened.”

Click play to hear the full interview. 

(Photo: James D. Morgan / Getty Images.)