Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.Photo: ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty
A “cruise to nowhere” has returned to its launch dock after an 83-year-old passenger tested positive — and then negative — forCOVID-19.
TheAssociated Pressreported on Wednesday that the man first tested negative for the virus before boardingRoyal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seasin Singapore, but tested positive after experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and going to the onboard medical center, prompting the ship’s crew to turn around on day three of the four-day excursion.
A second analysis of the passenger’s test sample after the ship docked in its original location came back negative — as did another follow-up test. According to the AP, Singapore’s health ministry said they would test the man again on Thursday to confirm his negative status.
The AP reports that theSingapore Tourism Board’s Director of Cruise Annie Chang said those close to the man were isolated after his positive result and all tested negative. Chung also noted that all activities onboard the ship ceased at that time, passengers and crew were asked to stay in their cabins throughout the contact-tracing process and they would be subject to mandatory testing before departing the terminal upon their arrival back in Singapore.
“They are being given regular updates and meals are provided directly to their rooms,” Chang said of the people on board the ship (1,680 guests and 1,148 crew members, according toThe Singapore Straits Times). “The well-being and safety of our local community, as well as passengers and crew remain a top priority.”
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COVID-19 testing kit.Chung Sung-Jun/Getty
In North America, cruise companies halted all sailings in the Caribbean last spring as the pandemic took hold in the region. Individual countries enacted stringent travel restrictions, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) issued a “no-sail order.”
The CDC’s initial no-sail order was put in place on March 14 and intended to last 30 days. At the time, several cruise ships across the world had become sources of major coronavirus outbreaks.
Last month, a number of passengerstested positive for COVID-19aboard the first cruise ship to return to sailing in the Caribbean since the beginning of the pandemic, according tothe Points GuyreporterGene Sloan, who was on the boat.
Ina statement sharedwith PEOPLE, the cruise company acknowledged there were multiple cases but did not disclose a number, noting, “SeaDream I has paused its current Caribbean voyage and returned to Barbados after guests' tests for COVID-19 returned assumptive positive results.”
Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty
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Also in November,more than 100,000 people had signed upto take part in Royal Caribbean’s test sailings just days after the cruise lineput out a call for volunteers.
Royal Caribbean, which plans to run simulated trial sailings as part of the CDC’srequirements to begin “phased resumption"of sailing, asked eager cruisers tofill out a form onlinetoshow their interest, which Royal Caribbean set up alongside its “Volunteers of the Seas” Facebook group the previous week.
“And just like that … 100,000 people have volunteered. We can’t wait to start this next phase with you all!” Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO,wrote on Facebook.
These simulated sailings may look like a typical cruise on the surface (including testing out shore excursions on private islands), but will also include COVID-19quarantinedrills as well as standard muster drills,Cruise Criticreported. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and show a medical certificate, Royal Caribbean confirmed toTravel + Leisure.
When ocean cruising does return to the U.S., it will come with a stringent set of protocols in place, including requiring allpassengers be tested before embarking.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theWHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
