Cambodia to allow cruise ship Westerdam shunned over virus fears to dock - case discovered in Malaysia

[Shiloh]

Source: http://news.trust.org//item/20200212123539-4ll2l/


Cambodia to allow cruise ship shunned over virus fears to dock
by Reuters
Wednesday, 12 February 2020 13:10 GMT
By James Pearson and Juarawee Kittisilpa

HANOI/BANGKOK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Cambodia has agreed to let a cruise ship that has been turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard may have the coronavirus dock and disembark its passengers, the Holland America Line said on Wednesday.

For nearly two weeks, the MS Westerdam, a ship of healthy passengers, had been sailing throughout Asia after being turned away by Japan, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines over fears that someone on the cruise could have the new flu-like virus that has killed more than 1,100 people, almost all of them in China.

"We will immediately begin making our way to Sihanoukville in Cambodia," Westerdam captain Vincent Smit told passengers, according to a recording of the announcement reviewed by Reuters...

[Treyfish]

The European Union Embassy in Cambodia thanked the Royal Government of Cambodia for granting the US cruise ship MS Westerdam at the port of Sihanoukville.
The MS Westerdam, carrying more than 2,000 passengers, has been refused entry to their port for fear of the Corona virus.

The European Union wrote on Facebook on February 13: "A group from the Embassy of the European Union is currently in Sihanoukville to provide assistance to passengers and crew of the MS Westerdam cruise ship. "The ship docked at the port of Sihanoukville this morning with 2,257 people, including 260 Europeans from 20 different EU member states."

The EU Delegation to Cambodia would like to thank the Cambodian authorities for allowing Westerdam to dock and to express their sympathy to the passengers and crew members in the hope that they will be safely repatriated. Very soon...https://www.dap-news.com/national/2020/02/13/33099/

[Treyfish]

....The MS Westerdam arrived at Preah Sihanouk on Thursday morning but will remain at the port for several days for disembarkation, said Holland America Line.

The ship was on a 14-day Taiwan-Japan cruise. It departed Hong Kong on February 1 with 1,455 guests and 802 crew on board. Of the number, 687 passengers were to continue sailing from February 1 and arrive in Yokohama, Japan, on February 15 for the next embarkation, Holland America Line said.

However, fear of contracting the fatal Covid-19 disease caused its docking rights to be withdrawn. The MS Westerdam than attempted to dock at ports in the other countries, but this too was rejected.

According to its passenger list, 1,455 people were nationals of 41 countries, including 651 Americans, Canadians (271), British (127), and Dutch (91), among others.

American passenger Christina Kerby said everyone remained upbeat with news that Cambodia had allowed the ship to dock.

She said all the passengers were still offshore, but Cambodian officials had gone on board to collect passports to issue visas for the passengers who have already been assigned flight tickets out of Phnom Penh.

Holland America Line said via Twitter: “Guests on board continue to be safe and well cared for. The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any Covid-19 cases on board despite media reports.

“Guests will be able to go ashore. All approvals have been received and we are extremely grateful to the Cambodian authorities for their support.”

It said after disembarking, passengers would be transferred to Phnom Penh by charter flights and travel home afterwards. The company would pay for all flights home and fully refund payments for the cruise....
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/hun-sen-rescue

[Treyfish]

Cambodian Prime Minister welcomes guests from yacht which is rejected by many countries

After being allowed to leave the ship after days of refusal to dock due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19 (nCoV), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen presented flowers to yachter Westerdam.....However, the Ministry of Health of Cambodia conducted a test and confirmed that no one was infectedhttps://www.vietnamplus.vn/thu-tuong...hoi/623288.vnp

[Shiloh]

The latest case in Malaysia was on board the ship: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...9-case/1837910

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regi...no-virus-cases


Half of cruise passengers leave ship in Cambodia after no virus cases
Cambodia
Saturday, 15 Feb 2020
8:40 PM MYT

A mother and daughter waving at medical officers from the MS Westerdam docked at the port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Saturday (Feb 15). About 1,200 of the 2,257 passengers and crew aboard Holland America Line's Westerdam disembarked in the Cambodian port at Sihanoukville during the course of Friday and Saturday, with most flying to the capital Phnom Penh for further travel, said Kheang Phearum, a provincial government spokesman. - AP
PHNOM PENH: More than half of the people aboard a luxury cruise ship that was turned away by several Asian nations due to fears that passengers could be carrying the newest coronavirus have disembarked in Cambodia, a Cambodian official said on Saturday (Feb 15).

About 1,200 of the 2,257 passengers and crew aboard Holland America Line's Westerdam disembarked in the Cambodian port at Sihanoukville during the course of Friday and Saturday, with most flying to the capital Phnom Penh for further travel, said Kheang Phearum, a provincial government spokesman.

Phearum said 827 passengers and crew left the ship on Saturday.

Another 415 had already disembarked on Friday...

[Treyfish]

US woman from cruise ship is latest Covid-19 victim

PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has tonight confirmed that an 83-year-old American woman tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases detected in Malaysia to 22.

,,,,they were among 145 passengers who had flown to Kuala Lumpur on Friday after the cruise ship Westerdam docked in Cambodia. Some 1,500 passengers had disembarked at Sihanoukville port ...
..t the victim and her husband displayed symptoms when they were screened at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and were referred to Sungai Buloh hospital, where she tested positive...https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/ca...vid-19-victim/

[Treyfish]

US woman from cruise ship is latest Covid-19 victim

PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has tonight confirmed that an 83-year-old American woman tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases detected in Malaysia to 22.

,,,,they were among 145 passengers who had flown to Kuala Lumpur on Friday after the cruise ship Westerdam docked in Cambodia. Some 1,500 passengers had disembarked at Sihanoukville port ...
..t the victim and her husband displayed symptoms when they were screened at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and were referred to Sungai Buloh hospital, where she tested positive...https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/ca...vid-19-victim/

[Treyfish]

Passengers on shunned coronavirus ship greeted with kisses from Cambodia PM
Faye BrownFriday 14 Feb 2020 11:02 am


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/14/passe...6/?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regi...on-virus-fears


Thailand takes in German ship after Vietnam says no on virus fears
Saturday, 15 Feb 2020
10:36 PM MYT

BANGKOK: German cruise operator AIDA has been granted permission to dock one of its vessels in Thailand, days after it was blocked from doing so in Vietnam due to fear of the new coronavirus spreading in the region.

The Aidavita - with some 1,100 passengers and 400 crew - docked early on Saturday (Feb 15) at Thailand's eastern Laem Chabang port, a Thai Vessel Traffic Control and Maritime Security official who declined to be named told dpa.

"This morning the Department of Disease Control officials have monitored all the passengers and right now there has been no report of any patients inside," he said, adding that medical officers have gone up to inspect the ship and monitored each passengers prior to leaving the ship...

[Treyfish]

20 Westerdam passengers to be tested for coronavirus

PUBLISHED : 13 FEB 2020 AT 14:12


..“We suspect that 20 of the passengers may be infected with coronavirus and their blood samples will be flown to Phnom Penh to expedite matters,” he said...https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/18...or-coronavirus

[Nox]

Westerdam passenger from Cambodia confirmed as Malaysia’s 22nd COVID-19 case

An 83-year-old American woman who was among 145 people to disembark the cruise ship MS Westerdam at Cambodia’s Sihanoukville port on Friday was today (Feb 15) confirmed as Malaysia’s 22nd COVID-19 case.
The woman, along with her husband who has so far tested negative despite exhibiting symptoms, flew to Kuala Lumpur on Friday after the ship docked amidst much fanfare after being denied berthing rights at five other ports.

https://aecnewstoday.com/2020/westerdam-passenger-from-cambodia-confirmed-as-malaysias-22nd-covid-19-case/

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se...ht-in-malaysia

Coronavirus: Westerdam cruise ship passengers bumped from KLM flight in Malaysia
Published 6 min ago

KUALA LUMPUR (BLOOMBERG) - A number of passengers, including two Dutch citizens, were denied boarding for an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight departing from Kuala Lumpur, according to the Dutch foreign ministry.

The travellers were among the more than 2,200 passengers and crew on the Westerdam cruise ship, which was turned away by five ports before disembarking in Cambodia...