AN 83-year-old US passenger aboard the luxury cruise ship Westerdam has been diagnosed with coronavirus a day AFTER she disembarked along with 2,200 other passengers and crew including 600 Americans.
Cambodia allowed the stricken ship to disembark in the port city of Sihanoukville on Friday after it was turned away by five other ports.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been skeptical of the severity of the virus, personally distributed roses and shook hands with the Westerdam’s passengers as they disembarked.
Japan, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Guam and Thailand allegedly refused it entry over coronavirus fears.
Malaysia’s health ministry reported that the infected woman and her husband were among 145 passengers that flew to Malaysia on February 14.
She was found with symptoms when she landed in Kuala Lumpur and was sent to a specialist designated hospital. She has been placed in isolation and is in a stable condition.
Her 85-year-old husband has tested negative but has been placed under observation.
Cambodia had performed health screenings on the passengers and cleared them to go back to their respective countries according to Malaysian authorities.
Cruise ships have become a major problem for governments struggling to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The Diamond Princess and its 3,700 passengers are quarantined in the port of Yokohama, Japan, as authorities battle an increasing number of infections on board.
428 Americans aboard the Diamond Princess are to be evacuated as the virus spreads to 218 aboard the ship.
Like the Westerdam, the Diamond Princess operates under a brand owned by Miami-based cruise giant Carnival.
Coronavirus has officially killed more than 1,500 people since the outbreak started in central China late last year, however this number is in dispute.
The Westerdam departed Hong Kong on February 1 on a 14-day crusie to Taiwan and Japan. The 1,455 guests and 802 crew members were originally scheduled to disembark at Yokohama on February 15.
There were more than 600 Americans on board as well as a host of other nationalities.
The Westerdam’s next scheduled voyage, from Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 15, was canceled, and the cruise line said it is “assessing the impact of current port restrictions in Asia on cruises departing Feb. 29 or later.”
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