MSC Cruises, the owner of MSC Magnifica ship sailing off Western Australia's coast, said there were no passengers onboard with respiratory diseases or flu-like symptoms. A company statement said there was no evidence to suggest anyone on the liner (currently off Cape Leeuwin, might be infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19).
MSC Magnifica, which is carrying 1700 passengers, planned to stop at Port Fremantle-Perth for a “technical call only” (for provisioning and refuelling) and continue the voyage to Dubai UAE.
The MSC Cruises statement says:
“Along her scheduled itinerary, the ship plans to call Fremantle in Western Australia for a technical call only. The ship had done the same at other technical calls along her itinerary, including in Sydney where passengers and crew remained on board during the technical-only call there. All passengers and crew on board are well. No passengers or crew on board suffer from any respiratory diseases or present any flu-like symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone on board may be infected with COVID-19.”
Earlier on Monday, March 23, Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan said that there were 250 passengers on MSC Magnifica with respiratory illnesses. The WA Government found out about the vessel Monday morning and was working with the Commonwealth and Defence Force in order to come up with a plan to deal with critically ill passengers.
For other MSC Magnifica 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.