2,000 People Stranded on a U.S. Cruise Ship Will Dock in Cambodia After 4 Countries Reject Entry Over Coronavirus Fears

Roughly 2,000 passengers and crew aboard the Holland America Line Westerdam remain stranded on the open seas on Feb. 12, days after they were supposed to dock in Yokohama, Japan on Feb. 15. Fears of the novel coronavirus (now officially known as COVID-19) has prompted four different nations and the U.S. territory of Guam to deny them entry despite no one on board being diagnosed with the illness that has caused global panic. Now, the cruise line says, Cambodia has granted permission for the ship to dock on Feb. 13. In a public statement, Holland America Line says the 2,257 passengers and crew members will be able to go ashore in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The cruise line will transfer the passengers over the next few days via charter flights to Phnom Penh, and will pay for each person’s flights home. The Westerdam is the latest cruise to be caught in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak. A virus-stricken ship has been under quarantine at the Yokohama Bay in Japan since Feb. 5. At least 174 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Wednesday. Last week, passengers on a World Dream cruise in Hong Kong were held for four days after the company learned that three passengers who had sailed on the vessel earlier were confirmed to have the virus. All passengers were finally allowed to disembark on Monday after all crew tested negative for the virus. After being denied entry into Japan, Guam, the Philippines and Taiwan, unnerved vacati...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 onetime Source Type: news