A Passenger Tested Positive for Coronavirus After Hundreds Exited a U.S. Cruise Ship, Sparking Fears the Outbreak Could Further Spread Worldwide

The elderly cruise passenger who tested positive for coronavirus after disembarking from a U.S. cruise ship in Cambodia has raised the specter that other passengers now dispersed around the world could be infected too. Currently, hundreds of passengers from Holland America Line’s Westerdam are being held back in Cambodia, where the ship was allowed to dock last week after being denied entry to multiple ports following rumors of a possible coronavirus on board—despite assurances from the cruise line that there were no signs of the virus, officially named COVID-19, in any passengers. After the shipped docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Feb. 13, twenty lab tests for the virus that had been conducted on board came back negative and passengers were cleared to begin disembarking after they were screened for symptoms of the virus. They were greeted with handshakes by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who invited them to tour Cambodia. Some left for a hotel in the capital, Phnom Penh, while others remained on the ship. Hundreds more boarded flights for destinations around the world—either returning home or moving on to other vacation destinations. Then, on Sunday came the news that an 83-year-old American passenger on the ship tested positive for coronavirus in Malaysia after she was stopped while going through thermal temperature scanners at Kuala Lumpur airport. Her 85-year-old husband, who is also an American citizen, has been tested twice for the virus, but...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 onetime overnight Travel Source Type: news