Passengers of coronavirus-hit Greg Mortimer ship fly back to Melbourne

A plane carrying 112 Australian and New Zealand cruise ship passengers, with up to 70 suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus, landed in Victoria state capital Melbourne early Sunday, local media reported.

The passengers were stranded on luxury Antarctic cruise ship Greg Mortimer for weeks before taking the flight from Uruguay's capital Montevideo on Saturday and was allowed to dock, the Nine News channel reported.

One passenger was taken to the hospital, while the others were tested by medical staff and set to be isolated for 14 days in a hotel with more follow-ups scheduled.

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne thanked Uruguay's government for its assistance in facilitating the return of the passengers, which were repatriated using what the Uruguayan government called a "humanitarian corridor" with strict biosecurity measures, the SBS News channel reported.

The vessel's operator, Aurora Expeditions, which organized the flight, confirmed this week that 128 of the 217 people on board had tested positive for the coronavirus, the channel reported. Eight people were transferred to Montevideo hospitals with "life-threatening" conditions.

Uruguay's foreign ministry told reporters that three Australians who received hospital treatment were also allowed to fly home as they were in sufficiently good health to travel.