A Genting Cruise Lines' ship on a "cruise to nowhere" has returned to Singapore after a passenger was suspected of having contracted COVID-19 and the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew on board have been confined to their cabins.
A 40-year-old passenger tested positive to a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on board and had been conveyed to hospital for further testing after the ship docked early on Wednesday, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
"The passenger was identified as a close contact of a confirmed case on land, and was immediately isolated as part of onboard health protocols," the board said in a statement.
The global cruise industry has taken a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the earliest big outbreaks on cruise ships in Asian waters.
Singapore, which has seen relatively few domestic COVID-19 cases, launched "round trips" on luxury liners in November, with no port of call during a few days of sailing.
Dream Cruises' World Dream had 1,646 passengers and 1,249 crew members onboard and all of them were required to remain in their staterooms with contactless meals sent to them, Dream Cruises, a part of Genting Cruise Lines, said.
The guest suspected of having COVID-19 had tested negative in a mandatory, pre-departure antigen rapid test before the ship set sail for a three-night cruise on Sunday.
The passenger's three traveling companions tested negative and were isolated while further contact tracing was being done, the tourism board said.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Chen Lin