False COVID-19 diagnosis forces cruise to return back to port

False COVID-19 diagnosis forces cruise to return back to port
10/12/20 https://safety4sea.com/false-covid-19-diagnosis-forces-cruise-to-return-...

Following a possibly false COVID-19 diagnosis onboard Royal Caribbean Cruises ship, the vessel was forced to return to port of Singapore.

Namely, Quantum of the Seas was on a a four-day pleasure cruise with approximately 2.000 passengers onboard.

However, the ship's captain informed the passengers that an elderly male passenger tested COVID-19 positive.

In light of the situation, the man was isolated and taken ashore to a hospital, while officials traced his contacts on the boat. Therefore, passengers and crewmembers were asked to remain onboard until contact tracing was completed.

Passengers were also asked to remain in their rooms, while close contacts of the suspected case were identified and isolated. The ship, which had 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew on board, immediately cut short its itinerary and returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore at 8.30am on 9 December.

...as Singapore Tourism Board noted.

Following the suspected coronavirus case, the cruise vessel returned to port in Singapore.

Although, the man was given a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test as per onboard protocols, and tested positive, he was then conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to undergo further tests.

Therefore, his original sample has since been retested and has come back negative for COVID-19 infection. A second fresh sample tested has also come back negative. A third test will be conducted tomorrow to confirm his COVID-19 status.

... Singapore Tourism Board added.

Concluding, all passengers will undergo a mandatory Antigen Rapid Test at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore upon disembarkation. This is in line with regular protocols for arriving passengers. At the same time, deep-cleaning is also being carried out on board the ship as part of CruiseSafe guidelines.