4,000 people held on cruise ship outside Lisbon after Covid outbreak despite none of the passengers testing positive
More than 4,000 people are being held aboard a cruise ship in the Portuguese capital Lisbon after a Covid-19 outbreak infected crew members, according to multiple media reports in the Spain and Portugal.
Portuguese media reported that 52 members of the crew of more than 1,000 workers tested positive.
However, none of the nearly 3,000 passengers have reportedly tested positive.
All on board had passed a screening test and were vaccinated with two doses before the ship set sail from Germany.
German company Aida Cruises told German press agency dpa that it discovered the positive coronavirus cases during routine health checks and has accommodated those infected ashore in co-ordination with Portuguese authorities in Lisbon.
The ship is waiting for the arrival of new crew members and to run some final checks before it can continue its journey to Spain’s Canary Islands, but this may take several days, dpa said.