MSC Cruises-owned liner MSC Meraviglia received permission to dock at Port Cozumel Mexico after the vessel was turned away by Jamaica and Cayman Islands over COVID-19 (coronavirus) fears. The ship carried "a sick crew member who travelled to countries with confirmed coronavirus cases.
MSC confirmed that it had received ‘formal and final authorization from the local health authorities in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico, to get to Cozumel’ but due to 35-40 knot winds and stormy conditions, the ship is currently close to the pilot station, waiting for the wind speeds to decrease. The port permits wind speeds of up to 25k for berthing.
By 8 am ET the weather is expected to improve and the ship to head into port, as agreed by the port authorities.
In a statement on February 26, MSC Cruises said it was disappointing that Jamaican authorities had delayed the decision for granting clearance for disembarkation, though the cruise had provided detailed medical records before arrival.
The crew member was announced to have common seasonal flu (type A influenza). As a precautionary measure, he was isolated and administered anti-viral treatment and medication. The crew member was then reported to have ‘nearly recovered’.
The cruise company said that Meraviglia and any other liner in their fleet did not carry any cases of COVID-19.
For other MSC Meraviglia accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.