Panaji: The Cruise Ship Cordelia which had 66 of the passengers and crew members on board testing positive for COVID-19 infection was sent back to Mumbai on Monday night from Goa, a senior official said.
“Entire ship had to be sent back after few of the passengers who had tested positive refused to get admitted in a COVID-19 facility in Goa. Only six crew members amongst total 66 who had tested positive were disembarked from the ship in Goa,” said Govind Pernulkar, Manager Operation, JM Baxi and Co, which is a local ship agent.
The ship was sent back at 11.30 pm on Monday when 27 passengers, who had tested positive and stayed on board, refused to disembark. “These were the passengers with their families. Few of the family members had tested negative,” he said.
Pernulkar said that after considering the entire situation, South Goa District Administration ordered that the entire ship along with all the passengers should be sent back to Mumbai. “Those passengers who were shifted to isolation facility were also brought back to the shipbefore it sailed back to Mumbai. The positive passengers would be isolated on the ship,” he said.
The ship is expected to reach Mumbai by afternoon, he added.
