Cruise ship blocked from calling on VI over Coronavirus fears
Government in a statement today said after consultation with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and other senior health officials, a decision was made that cruise ship M/V Costa Favolosa will not be allowed to call on the Virgin Islands today.
The statement said it was reported that a number of passengers had flown directly from Italy and had joined the ship in Guadeloupe within the last six days. This period is within the 14-day incubation period of COVID-19.
“In light of the public and health safety actions being taken in Italy in reaction to COVID-19, including the quarantine of select cities and cancellation of its own carnivals, a decision was made to err on the side of caution.”
Italy scrambling to counter coronavirus outbreak
Italy is sealing off entire towns and canceling major events after 322 cases and 12 deaths made it the most infected country outside Asia.
All the deaths involved people who were elderly or had other health complications, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the Associated Press (AP) reported.
According to Business Insider, the country has put 11 towns on lockdown with the hope of containing the spread.
The two most infected regions are Lombardy and Veneto in the north, which contain the major cities of Milan and Venice. But the virus has also spread farther south, with regions including Tuscany and the island of Sicily also reporting cases on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Discussions continuing with cruise lines
According to the statement from the VI Government, following Cabinet being apprised by the CMO and health officials, the Ministry of Health and Social Development is in continued discussions, and is working with all cruise lines calling on the VI to ensure enhanced health and safety screening procedures and practices.
“The cruise industry is of critical importance to the Territory and all efforts would be jointly made on a case-by-case basis to ensure the health and safety of residents and guests.”
As a reminder, members of the public are advised to remain vigilant and observe good personal hygiene practices, such as (1) washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; (2) avoid the touching of eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; (3) avoid close contact with people who are sick; and (4) remain at home if you are ill.
“The Government of the Virgin Islands wishes to reassure the public that it remains vigilant in ensuring that the safety and health of the people of the Virgin Islands and its visitors are foremost in the decision making process,” the statement read.
Virus spreading rapidly across Europe
According to the Washington Post today, February 26, 2020, France reported the first death of a French citizen from the epidemic as cases grew rapidly across Europe, with Spain confirming eight new cases in the past 24 hours and new infections reported in Germany, Greece, France, Croatia, Austria and Switzerland. A new case in Brazil marks the first known case in Latin America. Although China announced a decline in new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the number of infected people soared in South Korea to more than 1,200, with more expected in the coming days as the state attempts to test 200,000 people.
Globally, at least 80,000 people have been diagnosed with the illness.
The death toll from coronavirus is over 2,700 worldwide, with the vast majority in mainland China.
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