Four Passengers on Cruise Ship Docked in New Jersey Sent to Hospital After Coronavirus Screening

Four passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked in New Jersey on Friday were sent to the hospital for further evaluation after being tested for coronavirus, NJ.com reports. All told, 27 passengers were screened for the deadly virus, and the 23 that were cleared were allowed to disembark from the ship. “Personnel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention boarded a cruise ship docked in Bayonne this morning and screened 27 passengers who recently traveled from mainland China,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in statement. “After being assessed by the CDC, 23 of those passengers were cleared and four individuals are being evaluated at an area hospital. The hospital is following proper infection control protocols while evaluating these individuals. New Jersey currently has no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and the risk to residents remains low.” Royal Caribbean announced Friday that it was banning all customers with Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passports until further notice.

There’s increased concern about cruise passengers catching the virus after Japan reported 41 new cases on a quarantined ship off the coast of Yokohama on Friday, and turned away another luxury liner. Royal Caribbean announced Friday that it was banning all customers with Chinese, Hong Kong, or Macau passports until further notice. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday that Japan will deny entry of foreign passengers on a second cruise ship because of suspected virus patients found on board. However, the Seattle-based operator, Holland America, denied anyone had the illness.