Coronavirus scare cuts short test cruise
SINGAPORE — A Royal Caribbean “cruise to nowhere” was cut short and the ship returned to Singapore on Wednesday after a passenger was diagnosed with the coronavirus, but the health ministry later said new tests on the man were negative.
The 83-year-old passenger on the Quantum of the Seas tested positive for covid-19 after reporting to the ship’s medical center with diarrhea and was immediately isolated, Royal Caribbean and Singapore’s Tourism Board said.
But Singapore’s health ministry said later Wednesday that it retested the man’s original sample as well as a new sample and found them negative. It said it will conduct another test today to confirm his status.
Singapore recently began a “safe cruising” pilot program allowing cruise ships to make round trips from Singapore with no port of call in between. Strict safety measures were imposed, including reducing capacity by half and pre-board testing of passengers. Royal Caribbean is one of two operators licensed to run such trips.
Annie Chang, director of cruise at Singapore’s Tourism Board, earlier said the man had tested negative prior to boarding. She said his close contacts were isolated and tested negative.
Chang said all leisure activities on board the Quantum of the Seas had ceased immediately and passengers and crew were asked to stay in their cabins until contact tracing was completed. She said all people on board would undergo mandatory covid-19 testing before leaving the terminal.