Hong Kong Quarantines Cruise Ship After Symptoms of Coronavirus Reported

Health officials in Hong Kong have quarantined a cruise ship carrying around 2,000 passengers and crew members after several people on board complained of symptoms similar to those of the deadly coronavirus.

According to coronavirus-almost-2000-passengers-held-on-cruise-ship-in-hong-kong.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>CNBC.com, Dream Cruises’ World Dream had arrived at a port near Kai Tak when several crew members reported feeling ill, which resulted in health officials in Hong Kong quarantining the ship until tests were completed.

The vessel arrived Wednesday from Taiwan with passengers from several different countries, including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. During the mandatory health screenings for incoming ships, around 30 crew members complained of symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

While one crew member was diagnosed with the flu, the remaining 29 were undergoing further testing. As a precaution, the Dream Cruises’ employees who didn’t report symptoms and all of the passengers on board were also tested for the virus.

“Dream Cruises is cooperating fully with all health authorities and is complying with all official guidelines and instructions to safeguard the health of its guests, crew and the general public,” a company spokesperson told CNBC.

Earlier this week, health officials in Japan announced at least 10 people sailing on a now quarantined cruise ship had been infected by the coronavirus. Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess and the 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members on board remained quarantined at sea near the port of Yokohama since arriving Monday.

Hong Kong’s aviation industry is also feeling the impact of the viral outbreak, as major airlines in the United States have announced they will suspend all flights to the region as a result of the ongoing health concerns in China.