After 11 days at sea the "MS Westerdam" lands in Cambodia

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Text by: RFI Follow

The American cruise ship MS Westerdam was able to dock in Cambodia on February 14 after 11 days at sea, after being refused by five Asian ports. The blood samples of 20 passengers suffering from various ailments were analyzed and tested negative for the coronavirus. Several hundred passengers were able to disembark, including French people.

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With our correspondent in Phnom Penh, Juliette Buchez

In the salons of the French Embassy in Phnom Penh, the French Martine and Jean-Pierre Fuchs rest a little before their departure to France on the evening of February 14. It was with relief that the retired couple was part of the first wave of passengers to leave MS Westerdam in the morning.

" It was a party, it was applauding everywhere, it was screaming, the scarves were brandished in all directions and there the first wave was leaving ... Great ! Says Jean-Pierre Fuchs.

After their departure from Singapore in mid-January, the coronavirus epidemic led several Asian countries to close their border to those who had stayed in China. The itinerary of the Asian cruise therefore begins to change as the boat stopped in Hong Kong and Taiwan in early February.

" At first, we smile ," he says. And then little by little, people start to look at themselves saying that the joke has lasted long enough. After two days, three days ... but 11 days ! There, it gets a little long anyway. And we realized that the case had to be serious because no one accepted the boat anymore. "

Jean-Pierre explains that he was not worried about his health, even if he understands the concerns of the authorities. However, he remains frustrated by the reaction of countries that have refused the boat. " We are a boat, with 2,500 people, which has been wandering at sea for 11 days and there is not a civilized country capable of accommodating us ? We were really starting to ask questions , he indignantly. When Cambodia opened its doors and its ports, then we never liked Cambodia so much ! Put yourself in our place. "

Only part of the 2,257 people on board MS Westerdam were able to disembark. Other groups must leave the boat and return to their country on Saturday 15 February.

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• coronavirus
• Health and Medicine
• Cambodia

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