Latin America and Caribbean

Cruise Ship Docks At Mexico Amid Coronavirus Concerns

​Authorities in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands turned the ship away after it reported a crew member was sick with the flu.

Cruise Ship Docks At Mexico Amid Coronavirus Concerns
Getty Images
Article by Ahmed Jawadi
SMS
February 27, 2020

A cruise ship has finally docked in Mexico amid concerns of a coronavirus outbreak. 

The MSC Meraviglia, which has more than 6,000 people on board, docked at the island of Cozumel on Thursday. Authorities in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands denied the ship entry earlier this week after the cruise company, MSC Cruises, reported a crew member was sick with "common seasonal flu." MSC says no one on board has shown any evidence of having the coronavirus and that the crew member is "now free of symptoms."

The cruise line said Mexican health authorities have boarded the ship and tested the crew member and a passenger who has also showed flu symptoms. It said it expects passengers will be cleared to disembark once the test results come back.

There are more than 82,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide as of Thursday morning, according to the World Health Organization. Mexico has no confirmed cases so far.