Coronavirus: All of quarantined cruise crew test negative

HONG KONG – All of the 1,800-plus crew members of a quarantined cruise ship, World Dream, docked at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal tested negative to the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) which has infected 26 locally and over 37,000 on the Chinese mainland.

Announcing the news on Sunday afternoon, Leung Yiu-hong, chief port health officer of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, said all members on board the cruise ship, including the 1,800 passengers, could leave the ship.

The process was expedited as the CHP mobilized all medical resources and manpower that it could to finish the checks on Sunday instead of Tuesday as it previously expected, said Leung.

The cruise ship has been docking at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong since Wednesday. All people on board have been quarantined since then after eight passengers from the Chinese mainland who had traveled on the ship between Jan 19 and 24 were found to be infected with the virus.

Asked if any medical surveillance would be given to the passengers when they get off, Leung said there is no need as all passengers currently on board have had no contact with the eight infected patients.