Cozumel, Q. R. — A Norwegian cruise ship that passed through the Caribbean last week arrived home to find 10 covid-19-positive passengers. The cruise ship returned to port Sunday in New Orleans where ship doctors initially discovered the 10 infected passengers.
The discovery was made during the ship’s routine policy to test cruise ship passengers before they disembark. It was the Norwegian Breakaway who left that same port November 28, for the week-long Caribbean cruise. During that time, the ship docked at Cozumel.
In a news release, the Louisiana Department of Health said that over the past week, the ship made stops in Belize, Honduras and Mexico. It was Cozumel where the 3,200 people on board disembarked.
In a statement, Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed a “handful of Covid-19 cases among guests and crew,” adding that those found to be positive were asymptomatic or without any symptoms of the illness.
“We are testing all individuals on Norwegian Breakaway prior to disembarkation, as well as providing post-exposure and quarantine public health guidance by the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),” the company’s statement said.
“Any guests who have tested positive for COVID-19 will travel by personal vehicle to their personal residence or self-isolate in accommodations provided by the company,” they added.
On Sunday night, the Louisiana Department of Health posted an update saying seven additional cases had been detected, bringing the number of infected passengers and crew to 17.
