Amid rising COVID-19 cases across nation, over 2,000 passengers were reported stuck on a Mumbai-Goa cruise ship after a crew member tested positive for the virus. On this new year’s first Sunday the Cordelia Cruises’ Empress was sailing from Mumbai to Goa when it was stopped by the Maharashtra state government at the cruise terminal of Mormugao.
The cruise carried over 2000 passengers who were not allowed to disembark in Goa as a crew member tested COVID positive. The infected person has been kept in isolation on the ship while the passengers and other crew members are being tested for coronavirus.
Details
After the crew member’s COVID-19 report came positive, the authorities were immediately informed about it. The cruise was ordered to be kept out of the port and officials were asked to conduct COVID-19 tests on all the passengers through the Vasco-based Salgaonkar Medical Research Centre (SMRC) Hospital before allowing them to debark. Everyone will be allowed to vacate the ship only after the result of the RT-PCR test has been declared.
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Further Update
The COVID-19 test is being conducted by a Victoria private hospital. One of the Pathologist consultant’s Dr. Eugene. D’Souza informed that the procedure of the test started on Sunday around 9.30 pm. 500 samples were collected within two hours and more was to be done.
News of Relief
However, the health officials informed that the crew member who was tested positive had gone through an antigen test which is to be confirmed by an RT-PCR test. Moreover, all the passengers on board are double vaccinated which is a sign of relief.
What the Health Minister has to Say
On Sunday, the Maharashtra Health Minister Vishwajit Rane insisted on making strict Covid protocols for their state as nearly 4000 passengers land in Goa from international flights which expects to have covid positive passengers.
For avoiding the delay in the testing of suspected Omicron variant samples, Goa will set up a genome sequencing machine within 15 days. These machines are currently being sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV). Rane also informed about the meeting of Task Force with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday, in which they will announce certain measures to control the spread of infections by a coronavirus.
Goa’s Current Vaccination Status and COVID-19 Cases
After attending the meeting with Union and State Health Ministers, Vishwajit Rane informed the reporters that Goa has received 72,000 doses of vaccine to vaccinate people from the age group of 15 to 18 years. This entire process will be conducted within three to four days from 3rd January onwards. On this new year, 310 new Covid-19 cases were detected in Goa and the tally reached to 1,81,182. However, the death toll remained the same at 3,522 as per an official report.
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