Cruise ship docks in Singapore after hundreds of passengers and crew members fall ill

Cruise ship docks in Singapore after hundreds of passengers and crew members fall ill
16 Nov 2019 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/mv-sun-princess-cruise-22...

SINGAPORE: A cruise ship on the way to Vietnam from Thailand docked in Singapore this week after 229 of its passengers and crew members fell ill, according to a joint statement issued on Friday (Nov 15).

The affected people suffered a gastrointestinal illness, with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Ministry of Health and Singapore Food Agency in response to CNA's queries.
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The MV Sun Princess was travelling from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City when it made the stop in Singapore on Wednesday at around 5.30am. The MPA had been informed of the outbreak on Monday morning.

Out of the passengers and crew members affected, 189 have recovered. Sixteen of the remaining affected disembarked and terminated their cruise in Singapore.

"There was no mass evacuation of the MV Sun Princess in Singapore and most of the passengers had disembarked for a short day tour in Singapore," the statement read.

There were no Singaporeans among those affected, it added.

The MPA, MOH and SFA conducted a joint inspection of the cruise on Wednesday. MOH also worked with the cruise operator to ensure that proper infection prevention and control were implemented.

Additionally, it provided all passengers with a health advisory with information on how to look out for symptoms of the disease as well as protection and prevention measures.

"Disembarking passengers have also been advised to seek medical care if unwell. In addition, the port agent has arranged for the affected passengers to be assessed by a medical practitioner upon disembarkation to ensure that they were fit for onward travel," the authorities said.

MV Sun Princess left Singapore for Ho Chi Minh City at 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Source: CNA/hs