1,800 Dream Cruises passengers, crew undergoing testing after 3 confirmed coronavirus cases, reports say
On Wednesday, 1,800 passengers and crew members aboard Genting’s World Dream cruise were being held on the ship and undergoing testing for coronavirus, according to the BBC and Reuters.
Three people who were on the ship from Jan. 19 to Jan. 24 have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a letter to guests from Dream Cruises, which operates the ship. As a result, Taiwan’s government blocked the ship’s port of call in Kaohsiung and forced its return to Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
“We would like to inform you that all passengers had received stringent temperature checks in Guangzhou Nansha upon disembarkation,” per the letter. “At that time, all passengers tested returned negative results.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Dream Cruises for more information.
There have been more than 24,600 cases diagnosed worldwide, with all but 216 coming from mainland China and Hong Kong and the rest spread across more than 20 countries. Nearly 500 have died and about 1,000 have recovered.
The World Dream is the third cruise ship to be placed under quarantine in the past week.
On Wednesday, Princess Cruises announced that the 3,700 people aboard the Diamond Princess will remain under quarantine at sea for two weeks after Japanese health officials diagnosed 10 people with coronavirus.
Costa Cruises had its own scare on Jan. 30 when a female Chinese passenger aboard the Costa Smeralda displayed symptoms. The ship was held in quarantine off the coast of Italy while health officials ran tests on her and her traveling companion. In the end, she was diagnosed with the common flu and the rest of the passengers were allowed to disembark in the city of Civitavecchia.
After the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global health emergency on Jan. 30, the trade group Cruise Lines International Association announced new guidelines. Its 270 member ships pledged to deny boarding to any passenger or employee who had been in mainland China in the past 14 days.
Coronavirus: Cruise ships to deny boarding to anyone who has recently been in China
Some cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, went further in their screening efforts, saying no one who had been to Hong Kong in the past 15 days could board their ships, either. Royal Caribbean also said that anyone holding a passport from China or Hong Kong would be subject to additional health screenings regardless of the last time they were there. Cruise Maritime Voyages has announced it wouldn’t allow anyone who had been to mainland China in the past 30 days to board.
Royal Caribbean also canceled eight China cruises, joining other lines that have scrapped sailings or port calls to the country where the epidemic began in late 2019.
The following companies have either canceled entire cruises, moved embarkation or disembarkation ports or replaced port calls to China or Hong Kong with stops in other nearby countries: Azamara, Costa Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Dream Cruise Line, Holland America, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea and Star Cruises.
Coronavirus: The latest on cruise line cancellations and policy changes
