MORE than 2,000 people on board a cruise ship in Indian waters have been stopped from disembarking after a coronavirus outbreak on the vessel, authorities on Monday (3) said.
The ship named ‘The Empress’ set sail from the city of Mumbai in Maharashtra to Goa, a former Portuguese colony neighbouring Maharashtra, but was halted by port authorities near its destination at the city of Vasco in Goa on Sunday (2) following detection of the highly infectious virus, the AFP reported.
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At least 66 people travelling on the ship tested positive for the virus, Eugene D’Souza, a pathologist at the local Victor Hospital, told AFP.
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“It has been decided those who have tested positive will be hospitalised or home quarantined,” he said.
Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said the authorities were deciding whether to allow the passengers to leave the ship, which is operated by Indian company Cordelia Cruises.
The cruise industry has been struggling during the pandemic as several vessels have been hit by the outbreak.
Goa is one of the major tourist attractions with its expansive beaches and lush wilderness and several thousands of visitors from all across the world come to the state every year. The state has seen a steady rise in Covid numbers with an influx of visitors in the festive season.
India has seen an overall surge in Covid cases with the arrival of the Omicron variant.
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