Singapore Cruise Passengers Quarantined on Positive Covid Case
Bloomberg) -- A Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ship turned back to Singapore on day three of a four-day cruise to nowhere, and all passengers put in quarantine on board, after a positive Covid-19 case was identified early Wednesday.
© Bloomberg A visitor surfs on the FlowRider
About 2,000 passengers aboard the Quantum of the Seas vessel were informed about the development by the ship’s captain over the public announcement system at about 2:45 a.m. local time.
The passenger who tested positive was isolated while officials traced their contacts.
Around 8 a.m., the captain told passengers that one passenger felt ill and tested positive for Covid.
All those found to have contact with the person have been tested and quarantined. All other passengers have been put under quarantine as a precautionary measure.
Gallery: Inside Singapore's first 'cruise to nowhere,' where vacation-starved guests took turns using the pool and carried contact tracing devices everywhere they went (INSIDER)
Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International said in October that two of their ships would start sailing from Singapore on so-called
cruises to nowhere as the city state aims to revive its tourism sector and give residents an outlet for their wanderlust amid the pandemic.
Stringent protocols for cruise operators and passengers to permit the pilot voyages were established.
These included testing of crew and passengers, increased sanitization and fresh air circulation measures. Cruises were also required to sail at a reduced passenger capacity of 50%.