SICK SHIP

17 COVID Cases Detected on Cruise Ship Docked in New Orleans

The figure, which rose from 10 over the weekend, includes one “probable” case of the Omicron variant.

At least 17 people aboard a Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19 before disembarking in New Orleans on Sunday, the Louisiana Department of Health announced. The figure includes one “probable” case of the Omicron variant, the agency said. In an email to NPR, a Norwegian Cruise Lines spokesperson said the Omicron case was linked to a South African crewmember who had been in isolation for the entire trip. More than half of the cases were asymptomatic, according to Norwegian. The ship left New Orleans on Nov. 28 with some 3,200 passengers onboard, and stopped in Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. All crew members and guests were fully vaccinated, and those who tested positive are required to self-isolate per CDC guidelines, the cruise line said.