Cruise trip scrapped over suspected Covid case

Health authorities late on Thursday said they are investigating a suspected re-positive Covid-19 case, involving a male crew member of the cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas, prompting the cancellation of a “cruise-to-nowhere” sailing.

The 40-year-old, who is asymptomatic and has been double-vaccinated with Sinovac, was found during regular testing for the virus.

He had previously tested positive for the coronavirus in Malaysia in July. His sample collected on October 19 on board the cruise tested positive for Covid-19, with a very low viral load.

The ship – scheduled to embark on a “cruise-to-nowhere” on Thursday – was carrying about 1,000 passengers when the patient was onboard, however, he did not have direct contact with passengers, the Department of Health said in a statement.

It added he had also worked on the Spectrum of the Seas on two other trips this month.

People who had been on board the ship for more than two hours from September 30 to October 21 must be tested.

“Cruise-to-nowhere” trips began from July to allow Hong Kong people to start travelling again, but only if they are fully vaccinated.

All passengers and crew members must be fully inoculated against Covid, and must receive polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid tests within forty-eight hours before sailing.