A Genting Cruise Lines’ ship on a “cruise to nowhere” has returned to Singapore after a passenger was suspected of having contracted COVID-19.
In light of the situation, nearly 3,000 passengers and crew on board have been confined to their cabins.
According to the Singapore Tourism Board said, a 40-year-old passenger tested positive to a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test onboard and had been conveyed to hospital for further testing after the ship docked early on Wednesday.
“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 board said in a statement.
The global cruise industry has taken a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the earliest big outbreaks on cruise ships in Asian waters. To remind, Singapore, which has seen relatively few domestic COVID-19 cases, launched “round trips” on luxury liners in November, with no port of call during a few days of sailing.
Dream Cruises’ World Dream had 1,646 passengers and 1,249 crew members onboard and all of them were required to remain in their staterooms with contactless meals sent to them, Dream Cruises, a part of Genting Cruise Lines, said.
The guest suspected of having COVID-19 had tested negative in a mandatory, pre-departure antigen rapid test before the shipset sail for a three-night cruise on Sunday.
The passenger’s three traveling companions tested negative and were isolated while further contact tracing was being done, the tourism board said.
Only essential service crew with personal protective equipment were being allowed limited movement within the ship, Dream Cruises said.
Passengers said they found out about the suspected case in an announcement at around 1:00 a.m.
Concluding, the cruises to nowhere, restricted to Singapore residents, have become popular during the pandemic with very limited other travel opportunities because of coronavirus restrictions.
