Decision to allow passengers off Ruby Princess was by NSW state - Australian Border Force

Sydney businesswoman Janet Dixon-Hughes, daughter Polly and her 95-year-old mother Wynne King pose for a photo on the Ruby Princess as the cruise ship sails in international waters March 17, 2020, en route to Sydney, Australia. Dixon-Hughes and her family are currently in self-isolation after a number of passengers on the ship subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after disembarking in Sydney. Picture taken March 17, 2020. Courtesy Janet Dixon-Hughes/Handout via REUTER

New South Wales state's health department allowed passengers off the coronavirus-stricken Ruby Princess cruise ship as they determined it to be "low risk", a top Australian Border Force (ABF) official said on Wednesday.

ABF Commissioner Michael Outram was speaking in Canberra, days after 2,700 passengers disembarked from the Ruby Princess in Sydney harbour, with 48 on board subsequently testing positive for the virus.

Outram said the health departments of respective states and territories were responsible for human biosecurity-related matters.

Sydney businesswoman Janet Dixon-Hughes, daughter Polly and her 95-year-old mother Wynne King pose for a photo on the cruise ship Ruby Princess in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand March 11, 2020. Dixon-Hughes and her family are currently in self-isolation after a number of passengers on the ship subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after disembarking in Sydney, Australia. Picture taken March 11, 2020. Courtesy Janet Dixon-Hughes/Handout via REUTERS

(Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)