コロナで中断の「どこにも行かないクルーズ」、乗客は偽陽性と判明

【シンガポールＡＦＰ＝時事】乗客1人が新型コロナウイルス検査で陽性反応を示したことから中断されたシンガポール発着の「どこにも行かないクルーズ」について、当局は10日、この乗客に3回目の検査を行った結果、男性が新型ウイルスに感染していないことが分かったと発表した。（写真は「どこにも行かないクルーズ」の途中でシンガポールに引き返したクァンタム・オブ・ザ・シーズ号）
　シンガポールでは旅行制限の影響でクルーズ船の運航は数か月間中止されていたが、先月ようやく、どこにも寄港しないクルーズ旅行が開始されていた。
　しかし、米客船大手ロイヤル・カリビアン・インターナショナルが運航するクァンタム・オブ・ザ・シーズ号の乗客（８３）が、新型ウイルス検査で陽性反応を示し、同船は４日間の旅の３日目でシンガポールに引き返すことになった。当時船には乗客１６８０人と乗組員１１４８人が乗っていた。
　シンガポール保健省によると、３回目の最後の検査を行ったところ、男性がコロナに感染していないことが１０日に確認されたという。
　シンガポールの観光当局は、新型ウイルス流行で大打撃を受けたクルーズ業界の再生を目指す「どこにも行かないクルーズ」は継続すると明らかにし、今回の出来事への迅速な対応をたたえた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/12/11-13:17）

A coronavirus scare that cut short a cruise to nowhere off Singapore was a false alarm, officials said Thursday, after fresh tests on a passenger came back negative.
The voyages -- starting and ending at the city-state with no stops -- began last month, marking a resumption of cruises after a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic.
But a liner carrying 1,680 guests and 1,148 crew had to turn back to port Wednesday, day three of a four-day cruise after the 83-year-old man tested positive at an on-board clinic.
The man was taken to hospital, while passengers and crew remained stuck in their cabins for hours until contact tracing was completed and they were allowed to disembark in the evening.
But the health ministry said that a third and final test on the Quantum of the Seas passenger on Thursday confirmed he had not been infected.
We have rescinded the quarantine orders of his close contacts, who had earlier been placed on quarantine as a precautionary measure while investigations were ongoing, the ministry said.
The Singapore tourism board said the pilot cruise to nowhere sailings aimed at reviving the hard-hit tourism sector will continue, and praised the swift response to the incident.
The cruises have proved a hit in tiny and affluent Singapore, which has suffered only a mild outbreak, after people were unable to go on overseas holidays for months due to travel restrictions.
A raft of safety measures had been rolled out to prevent virus outbreaks, such as disinfecting public areas and reducing the number of passengers on board.
But some had warned of the potential for the virus to spread on the liner after several vessels were hit with outbreaks earlier this year.