Malaysia: all MS Westerdam passengers have left, except US national infected with coronavirus
- The health ministry has the confirmed the departure of the 144 other passengers who took a flight to Kuala Lumpur
- The MS Westerdam cruise ship was turned away by five ports last week before being allowed to dock in Cambodia
The American passenger tested positive for the coronavirus upon landing after setting off the airport’s thermal scanners, leading Malaysia Airlines to cancel the other flights chartered by the cruise line.
Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced that the government would no longer allow any cruise ships that had left or transited through China to enter Malaysia, a decision the Malaysian Association of Tour And Travel Agents (Matta) praised even as domestic tourism struggles through a slump over fears of Covid-19.
Wan Azizah had previously said Malaysia Airlines flights had been chartered to transport some of the Westerdam’s passengers from Sihanoukville to various destinations via Kuala Lumpur, but since the report of the woman’s infection, the flights would no longer continue.