BRASILIA (AP) — Passengers on the cruise ship MSC Preziosa had to wait more than six hours to disembark at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday due to an inspection by Brazilian health authorities that confirmed 28 cases of COVID-19 on board – 26 passengers and two crew members.
Rio’s health secretariat said in a statement that among those who tested positive, people living in Rio or the nearby region can quarantine themselves at home. Others must first isolate in hotels, and there was no information provided about who would pay for the
costs.
After the inspection, MSC Preziosa was authorised by federal health regulator Anvisa to continue operating. Other passengers were waiting to embark for Bahia. The ship had set out from the Brazilian resort of Búzios.
In a statement to the Associated Press, MSC said it applies “protocols that are stricter and stronger than in any other travel industry”, adding that only vaccinated people are allowed to board, and that it conducts regular tests on passengers and crew members.
