6 passengers on Royal Caribbean cruise ship test positive for COVID-19 before return trip

At least six passengers who were departed from the Bahamas on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus. According to a report by The Hill, four of them were vaccinated for the COVID-19 while the other two were unvaccinated and were minors. The report said that five of the guests are asymptomatic including the two minors, while one guest has symptoms of the deadly virus. In a statement, the cruise company said that the infected guests were immediately quarantined and all close contacts were traced and tested negative for the virus. It said that the infections among the passengers were detected during a routine checkup before returning home. Subsequently, each guest and crew member were disembarked in Freeport in the Bahamas today. Each of the passengers travelled their onward journey through private means, said the cruise company.

The cruise ship departed with 2,082 people 

According to the information updated on the website of the cruise, travellers need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and must produce a negative test before boarding. Regarding minors, it said as the children are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine, they must test negative before boarding the ship. While responding to the questions of USA Today, Royal Caribbean spokesperson Lyan Sierra-Caro said that the cruise was departed with 2082 people of which 1,182 were guests and others were crew members on July 24, Saturday. He said that they would not undergo quarantine as they were already tested negative for coronavirus.

In 2020, 13 died due to covid on the Diamond Princess cruise ship

Earlier in July this year, a Singapore ship returned back before wrapping up the holiday trip after a passenger tested positive for coronavirus. The cases come at a time when the cruise industry is struggling to get over pandemic blues. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been framing strict guidelines for the ships involved in the holiday trips. According to a report by AP, at least 13 passengers died while hundreds tested positive for coronavirus on the Diamond Princess- a British-registered cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises-- last year. Subsequently, over 4,000 people were quarantined at the port in Japan's Yokohama city.

(Image Credit:  Royal Caribbean/Twitter)