Thailand refuses entry to cruise ship with no coronavirus cases

Thailand has barred passengers from Holland America’s cruise ship MS Westerdam from disembarking, its health minister said on Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the coronavirus despite no confirmed infections on board.

The Netherlands-flagged ship was sailing in a westerly direction, 96 kilometers off the southern coast of Vietnam on Tuesday morning, according to data from the Marine Traffic ship tracking website.

Holland America, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, said Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Thursday and that there was no reason to believe anybody on board had the virus.

“I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post.

Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate said in a separate Facebook post that, while the ship would not be allowed to dock, Thailand “will gladly help providing fuel, medicine, and food” to the ship.

The coronavirus has caused chaos in Asia and beyond with many flights suspended, businesses disrupted and entry restrictions imposed by governments trying to ward off the spread.

It has also roiled the world of luxury cruises.

Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew onboard, is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, with 135 cases of coronavirus detected on the Carnival Corp-owned vessel.

The World Dream cruise ship was held up in Hong Kong for days after it was linked to three cases but all passengers and crew later tested negative and were allowed to disembark.

The Westerdam had already been turned away from several countries, including Japan and the Philippines, amid fears of the virus.

Holland America says no one on board has the virus.

Media reports say it carries 1,455 passengers and 802 crew. its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which refused it permission to dock.

“The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports,” the company said.

It had earlier said the Westerdam was sailing toward Bangkok, and it is not immediately clear whether the ship would change course.