• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Netizens lambast passengers of Royal Caribbean cruise ship for travelling during pandemic after guest tested positive for COVID-19

by The Online Citizen
09/12/2020
in Comments, Health, Travel
Reading Time: 5 mins read
10

Photo Credit: ST

An 83-year-old passenger of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Quantum of the Seas was tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the cruise ship to return to Singapore on Wednesday (9 December).

The ship was originally set for a four-day cruise to nowhere. However, the journey was cut short after the passenger was tested positive for the coronavirus on day three.

All the guests and crew on the ship who had close contact with the guest had been isolated, and their test results all came out negative.

The ship’s captain confirmed this via an announcement around 8.10 am on Wednesday when the ship arrived in Singapore.

“It’s important that you know that you are safe on board and we have a good plan in place to maintain your health, safety and comfort,” the captain said.

He had previously informed all passengers at around 2.45 am that the ship would be returning early. He also instructed all guests to stay in their cabins.

Cruise director at the Singapore Tourism Board Annie Chang said: “A passenger onboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been immediately isolated. Emergency response plans have been activated according to guidelines including immediate isolation of close contacts, contact tracing and deep-cleaning of the ship”.

She added that all of the relevant passenger’s close contacts have tested negative.

“The ship is returning to Singapore so that passengers can disembark and medical support provided if necessary. All passengers undergo a mandatory COVID-19 test prior to boarding, with stringent hygiene and safety measures implemented throughout their passenger journey,” Ms Chang said.

Passengers who did not have any close contact with the COVID-19 patient will be allowed to leave the ship, a report by Mothership.sg stated.

As part of the safety protocol in this pandemic, all passengers who are embarking on Dream Cruises’ round-trip with no ports of call are required to take an antigen rapid test at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

Touching on the patient, Ms Chang said that the man took a mandatory COVID-19 PCR test before boarding and tested negative for the virus.

However, the 83-year-old man reported to the onboard medical centre with diarrhoea and underwent a mandatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test as part of the onboard protocols.

The patient was immediately isolated. His initial close contacts were also identified and isolated as part of the protocols for a positive test during a cruise.

While the passenger’s close contacts have since been tested negative for COVID-19, further contact tracing is ongoing.

The Quantum of the Seas can serve about 2,000 guests at full capacity during the pandemic, half of its usual of over 4,000 passengers.

During this pandemic, the safety measures include reducing passenger capacity to 50 per cent and pre-boarding testing for all guests.

Additionally, mask-wearing is compulsory and passengers must have the TraceTogether mobile application or token on their person at all times.

Netizens question need to travel during the pandemic

Upon learning about this news, online users slammed the passengers for deciding to travel during this pandemic.

Commenting on the Facebook pages of The Straits Times and Mothership, they said that everyone knows that being around a large group of people is dangerous as the virus can be easily transmitted.

They added that the passengers have taken COVID-19 lightly and will now have to pay the consequences.

Others pointed out that the Government should have not rushed to resume any kind of travelling so soon without considering potential repercussions.

One user slammed the Government for making a rash decision without thinking much about it.

“Reality around the world had always shown how stupid it is to start any travelling nowadays. Till the population have been vaccinated.. stop all travels. Stop all foreign imports unless they are Singaporean coming home. Stop people from those countries with high infections coming into SG!” They wrote.

Some cited the previous incident of Japan’s Diamond Princess cruise in February this year, where over 700 passengers onboard were tested positive for the coronavirus.

Online users said that Singaporeans did not learn the lessons from that incident, and questioned why permission was granted for Royal Caribbean in the first place.

  

A number of users wondered if the COVID-19 SOPs and tests are effective, given that the patient initially tested negative before boarding the ship.

 

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well
AFP

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

07/02/2023
Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?
Housing

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

07/02/2023
Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament
Singapore

Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

07/02/2023
Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?
Asia

Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

07/02/2023
Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary
Civil Society

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023
AFP

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
10 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

07/02/2023
Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

07/02/2023
Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

07/02/2023
Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

07/02/2023
Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

07/02/2023
Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

07/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
104

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
11

...

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

by The Online Citizen
02/02/2023
19

...

December 2020
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Nov   Jan »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz