MANGALURU: As many as 1,575 passengers and 161 crew members of a passenger cruise ship ‘Costa Victoria’ who alighted at New Mangalore Port on Tuesday were subjected to thermal screening for the deadly novel coronavirus (nCoV) before they set out on sightseeing in the coastal city. However, no passenger or crew member were found to be affected by the disease.
This is the first passenger cruise that arrived in Mangaluru port after coronavirus alert was sounded in Indian ports on January 23. In all, 1,841 passengers and 794 crew members were on board of this Italy origin ship that had sailed into Mangaluru port on Tuesday morning from Mumbai. Those who did not get down in Mangaluru involved a passenger and crew member each from China. The ship continued its journey to Cochin on Tuesday at 8 pm.
Medical officer of the Port Health Organisation (PHO) Dr Jason Mathew said only those who got down in the city were screened as others will be taken care of by the doctors on board where a medical logbook will be maintained. He said the ship in its voyage had not entered any coronavirus infected areas.