Cruise ship with 3,600 on board faces quarantine in Hong Kong after reports of previous passengers with coronavirus
- Health officers conduct checks on those on board, including 1,600 Hongkongers, as some crew members report feeling unwell
- World Dream had previously sailed from China to Vietnam in January with passengers who were later diagnosed with disease
A cruise ship on which eight people – up from an initial three passengers – diagnosed with the new coronavirus had previously sailed was forced to return to Hong Kong on Wednesday and faces quarantine, with dozens of crew members claiming to feel unwell.
Department of Health staff boarded the World Dream to conduct medical checks and carry out anti-epidemic measures on the 3,600 passengers and crew on board. About 1,600 Hongkongers were believed to be on the ship, which left the city on Sunday bound for Taiwan.
The ship, which travelled from China to Vietnam in January, was forced to return to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal at about 9am on Wednesday after being told by the Taiwan government it would not be allowed to dock at its next port of call, Kaohsiung.
On Monday, three mainland Chinese passengers who had travelled on the ship from January 19 to January 24 were found to be infected with the deadly virus. The World Dream had sailed from Nansha port in Guangzhou for Vietnam carrying more than 4,000 passengers at that time.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Hong Kong health authorities said the number of confirmed cases from that cruise had risen to eight.
Earlier, Dr Leung Yiu-hong, chief port health officer at the Centre for Health Protection, said of the crew members who later reported feeling unwell, three had a fever and one tested positive for type B flu.