Nightmare At Sea – More Than 7,000 Quarantined On Two Cruise Ships Amid Virus Outbreak

Thousands of people are trapped on two cruise ships where coronavirus is quickly spreading. Already, tests are coming back positive, with more expected in the coming days. 

More than 7,300 people have been quarantined on two cruise liners, one off Japan and another off Hong Kong, for fears that the deadly virus has infected passengers and crew. 

20 coronavirus infections have been confirmed on a cruise ship in Japan as thousands remain under quarantine on the vessel. pic.twitter.com/gHAKwlF5OE

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A total of 3,700 passengers and workers are quarantined on Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corporation & plc., which is moored off Yokohama, Japan. 

Twenty passengers have already tested positive for coronavirus, with more expected to test positive in the coming days. 

Infected passengers include three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one from Taiwan, two Canadians, one New Zealander, and three Hong Kong citizens. One Filipino crew member is also sick, Carnival said in a statement. 

Japan’s Health Ministry said a total of 20 had been infected with the deadly virus on the vessel. It said the rest of the passengers would remain in quarantine for two weeks. 

The second ship is the World Dream, a cruise ship operated by Dream Cruises, currently moored in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor as a precautionary measure. All 4,000 passengers are undergoing testing after three former passengers tested positive for coronavirus. 

Cruise ship under quarantine in #HongKong, tests for #coronavirus conducted as 30 crew members have fever

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Edith Poon, a spokesperson for Genting Hong Kong Limited, the holding company that owns Dream Cruises, confirmed that 30 crew members had symptoms of the virus. 

“We are currently waiting for the results to come in,” Poon told USA TODAY. “Upon availability of the results, we shall comply with the Department of Health’s instruction on the next step forward. Until then, as advised by the Department of Health, all passengers of the cruise ship are to remain on board.”

Last week, there was a false alarm aboard the Costa Smeralda, when a female Chinese passenger displayed symptoms of the deadly virus. The ship was in quarantine off the coast of Italy, while health officials conducted tests. It was later discovered she had the “common flu,” and the ship was allowed to embark on the rest of its journey.