Singapore’s tourism board said on Wednesday that a cruise ship operated by Genting Cruise Lines on a so-called cruise to nowhere had returned to the city-state after a 40-year-old passenger was suspected to have contracted COVID-19. <\/P>
“The passenger was identified as a close contact of a confirmed case on land, and was immediately isolated as part of onboard health protocols,” the tourism board said in a statement. <\/P>
It said the passenger took a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test onboard, tested positive and had been conveyed to a hospital for further testing to confirm the result. <\/P>
The passenger’s three traveling companions were identified and isolated, the tourism board said. They have tested negative for COVID-19 and further contact tracing was being done. <\/P>
All leisure activities aboard the Dream Cruises’ World Dream ship had ceased and passengers had been asked to stay in their cabins until test results are received and contact tracing was complete, the tourism board said. <\/P>
Genting did not immediately respond to requests for comment. <\/P>
The ship left Singapore on Sunday for a four-day cruise, according to a media report. <\/P>
The global cruise industry has taken a major economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the earliest big outbreaks found on cruise ships. <\/P>
Singapore, which has seen relatively few domestic COVID-19 cases, launched round-trips cruses on luxury liners in November, which have no port of call and last only a few days. <\/P>
Such cruises have become popular during the pandemic and are restricted to Singapore residents. <\/P>
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Source: Voice of America<\/P>
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