Coronavirus: US passenger from Westerdam cruise ship tests positive twice in Malaysia

The 83-year-old woman flew to Malaysia after disembarking from the ship in Cambodia. She was found to have coronavirus

The Westerdam had been stranded at sea for two weeks after being blocked by five places over virus fears, until Cambodia allowed it to dock

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Passengers disembark from the Westerdam cruise ship at the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia on February 15, 2020. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 10:33pm, 15 Feb 2020Updated: 12:46am, 19 Mar 2020

A United States citizen who arrived in Malaysia after disembarking in Cambodia from the MS Westerdam cruise ship has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Malaysian health ministry said on Saturday.

On Sunday, the ministry insisted that it had correctly diagnosed coronavirus after conducting a second test.

The 83-year-old woman flew to Malaysia on Friday from Cambodia along with 144 other passengers from the ship, said the ministry.

The woman and her 85-year-old husband were the only ones of the 145 to show symptoms of the Covid-19 disease, said the ministry, adding that her husband had tested negative.

Passengers disembark from the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville on February 15, 2020. Photo: AFP

The Westerdam had been stranded at sea for two weeks after being turned away from five places – the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Guam and Thailand – over coronavirus fears. It was given the green light to dock at Cambodia on Thursday.

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