Cozumel, Q.R. — A Disney cruise ship is scheduled to dock at the Punta Langosta pier of Cozumel carrying Mexican passengers who will leave the island and be flown back to their places of origin.
Cozumel mayor Pedro Joaquín Delbouis announced on Thursday, the Disney Fantasy cruise ship will arrive at the Punta Langosta pier with 68 Mexican passengers, 15 of whom are from Quintana Roo. He says those on board the Disney Cruise line were repatriated in the face of the global health pandemic.
He made it clear that the ship, nor its passengers, represent any health risk for the population of Cozumel since the Mexicans repatriated on the cruise are free of coronavirus and their landing will take place without public interaction.
“I want to make it clear that the Disney Fantasy cruise ship will not arrive with tourists. It is about Mexican workers, all of them healthy, who work for the Disney Cruise Line and who, at the moment, were left without their source of employment due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
He also pointed out that as the President of the Republic Andrés Manuel López Obrador said, one cannot act in isolation or reject requests for humanitarian aide, noting that all sanitary protocols will be applied.
Pedro Joaquín indicated that the docking will be supervised by international health personnel who will monitor the medical log of each passenger before the arrival of the ship, which will be shared with the Municipal Health Committee to guarantee the security of the operation.
He noted that agents of the National Institute of Migration (INM) will also be there to ensure document verification protocols.
Once the process is complete, those on board will descend from the cruise ship to board a ferry bound for Playa del Carmen, where they will be flown to their places of origin. Pedro Joaquin says those aboard the cruise ship will not have any interaction with the people of Cozumel.
“The acceptance was made in coordination with the federal and state governments because these people are Mexican and these moments are of great solidarity and support among all Mexicans,” he stated.
The announcement of the arrival of the ship comes on the same day Pedro Joaquin announced day 12 without additional positive cases or deaths of coronavirus for the island.
