The hunt is on. The operator of an American cruise ship and the Cambodian authorities have been looking for hundreds of travelers who disembarked from the liner Westerdam last week in Cambodia since Monday. Banned in five Asian ports for fear of the coronavirus epidemic, or (Covid-19) which caused the death of nearly 1,900 people in China, it could, after more than 10 days of wandering at sea, dock on Thursday in the port of Sihanoukville, in the south of the country. Since then, an American passenger who had left the ship has tested positive.
While Japan, Thailand and Taiwan had categorically refused to accommodate the boat, the Cambodian Prime Minister had finally accepted the disembarkation of the passengers. Very close to Beijing, he was rather mocking, he said, about the "disease of fear". 1,200 cruise passengers had left the ship after a rapid medical test, without mask, distributing handshakes and braces.
200 passengers are said to have returned to Europe and the United States
The diagnosis of the American passenger caused a real health panic on Saturday. 500 tourists are a priori in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, now confined to hotels. They had however moved in the meantime on the streets, on the beaches, in particular by taking the bus. Another 200 passengers have already returned to Europe and the United States via Malaysia and Thailand. WHO is currently working with the authorities and the liner's company to try to trace these tourists.
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All countries in the region are putting in place measures to protect themselves from the epidemic. Thailand plans to deny entry to its territory to passengers of the liner, but a number of them have already passed through the kingdom. Singapore has quarantined two of its nationals who were on board. The city-state has announced that it will not allow "any other cruise passengers to enter or transit". To date, Covid-19 disease has killed 1,775 people and infected more than 70,000 people, mainly in mainland China.