Cruise ships ban people who traveled in China amid coronavirus concerns
A cruise ship industry group says its members will ban anyone, including guests or crew, who has traveled from or through mainland China in the previous 14 days, the maximum incubation period for coronavirus.
The Cruise Lines International Association, which says it represents more than 50 cruise lines and is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, said its members have suspended all crew movements from mainland China.
Last week, a scare over a woman with flu-like symptoms led Italian authorities to keep 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members on a cruise ship docked north of Rome. The Costa Crociere cruise line said the woman and her partner, who had no symptoms, were put into isolation Wednesday. The passengers were allowed to disembark on Thursday after tests for the new virus came back negative.
The number of people infected by the virus globally has topped 17,000. It has killed more than 360 people, all but one in China.