New Delhi: Around two thousand passengers on a Mumbai-Goa cruise are stuck on board after a crew member tested positive for Covid-19. The passengers were not allowed to disembark from the Cordelia Cruises' Empress as the Goa state government did not allow them following a report of a covid positive crew member.
The ship, which started off from Mumbai, is currently at the Mormugao cruise terminal, reports Livehindustan. All these 2,000 passengers were undergoing Covid-19 testing at the cruise terminal.
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As per the Livehindustan report, the infected crew member was detected with the virus during a rapid antigen test and was currently under isolation.
Operators of the cruise ship have been asked to carry out Covid-19 tests for all the passengers through the Vasco-based Salgaonkar Medical Research Centre (SMRC), and the passengers have been asked to remain on the ship until the test results arrive.
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"After testing passengers for Covid-19, some have turned positive as well. We have not allowed them to dock the ship. They have a tie-up with a private hospital for Covid testing, and we’ve told them to test all passengers for Covid-19 before they leave the ship,” said health minister Vishwajit Rane as reported by the Times of India.
Meanwhile, the Goa government is aiming to administer the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to all the 72,000 adolescents in the age group of 15-18 in the next four days after the vaccination drives commenced on January 3.