News on the Westerdam

[zonacruiser25]

I guess the journey continues.  I hope that all make it safely home.  I am certain there will be interesting reviews coming and odd flight stories.  

[Alphen]

Bad news:

 

US woman from cruise ship is latest Covid-19 victim

PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has tonight confirmed that an 83-year-old American woman tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases detected in Malaysia to 22.

She was one of the passengers of a cruise ship that docked in Cambodia on Friday. The 1,500 passengers on the m.v. Westerdam disembarked at Sihanoukville port after the ship had been rebuffed by Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and the U.S. territory of Guam

She is reportedly in stable condition and is being treated at the isolation ward at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Earlier today, two new cases were confirmed, both involving China nationals.

 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/02/15/us-woman-from-cruise-ship-is-latest-covid-19-victim/?fbclid=IwAR1SZa35J_lzQOupNZ_3lAWwKcNvKIEQreuJ2vn1rc4cbwpYnjcCIjrxxaA

Edited February 15, 2020 by Alphen

[hypercafe]

That is very bad news. What does that say for the rest of the passenger that are now flying around the world and the crew still on the ship.

[CJcruzer]

I think HAL cannot chance a situation like the Diamond Princess.   Celebrity has already pulled put of Asia for this season and is scheduling California cruises,

 

This is bad news for the Westy, as crew members now my be in incubation period,   

 

Carol

[Mandalay1903]

Very bad, indeed. And this was a day after docking and being cleared in their health checks. I do wish her a speedy recovery and that this is a very isolated situation.

[Fredric22]

• If she was sick on board, she would have surely been one of the passengers that received testing.  I would wait until there is further confirmation on this before jumping to too many conclusions.  

[Minoushka]

This is the worsepossible news .People had already boarded planes to gohome ..if they were in contact with the infected pax Godhelp us all ...This thing will spread like wildfire 

Question ....why was it not detected sooner ?

people ...crew left behind will nowneed 14 daysincubation minimum ...

how does one keep track of all thepaxwho left Cambodia ?

i hope airports all over the world quarantines all the incoming pax from CambodiaandWesterdam ....this thinghas to be stopped 

iMO all cruising should be restricted ...i for one plan to stay put until this thing is contained ....i really hope this diagnosis is wrong ...she has a cold 

stay away from Asia 

[Level six]

Considering today would only be the 14th day of the cruise....incubation period for the virus and since Hong Kong......I am afraid this will not be the only one on that cruise. 

 

Also, since tests around the world are taking 2-3 days, how were the passengers "cleared" in only a few hours? What test did they have?  What a mess.  

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Level six

[Fredric22]

7 minutes ago, Minoushka said:

This is the worsepossible news .People had already boarded planes to gohome ..if they were in contact with the infected pax Godhelp us all ...This thing will spread like wildfire 

Question ....why was it not detected sooner ?

people ...crew left behind will nowneed 14 daysincubation minimum ...

how does one keep track of all thepaxwho left Cambodia ?

i hope airports all over the world quarantines all the incoming pax from CambodiaandWesterdam ....this thinghas to be stopped 

iMO all cruising should be restricted ...i for one plan to stay put until this thing is contained ....i really hope this diagnosis is wrong ...she has a cold 

stay away from Asia 

 

There is no need for these kinds of panicked posts.   500+ people have died of the seasonal flu today alone and 30,000+ people have died so far this season.  There will always be viruses, diseases, etc. around us.  Unless we wrap ourselves up in plastic wrap and stay inside our house, there will always be a risk of catching something.  

Edited February 15, 2020 by Fredric22

[Indycal]

I am following one of the passengers on Twitter. She reports the HAL chartered flights out to Malaysia have been canceled. Not sure how many planes have left Cambodia prior to this cancelation. So sad to hear this, there were so close to coming home. 

[CJcruzer]

20 minutes ago, Level six said:

Considering today would only be the 14th day of the cruise....incubation period for the virus and since Hong Kong......I am afraid this will not be the only one on that cruise. 

 

Also, since tests around the world are taking 2-3 days, how were the passengers "cleared" in only a few hours? What test did they have?  What a mess.  

 

 

 

apparently only 20 or so passengers were tested, those who were complaining of cold or flu-like symptoms.   

 

This I read on the roll call for April 11-25 sailing, so I am not quoting from any news agency, just what was posted.

 

 

[Floridiana]

Alphen,

I am trying to find this reported in other English language Malaysian news outlets. No luck so far.

[AncientWanderer]

4 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

Alphen,

I am trying to find this reported in other English language Malaysian news outlets. No luck so far.

 

Post #771 upthread may corroborate, as it discusses canceled flights to Malaysia.

[CJcruzer]

I googled a few key words, and there seems to be some reporting

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-malaysia/american-from-cruise-ship-docked-in-cambodia-tests-positive-in-malaysia-for-coronavirus-idUSKBN2090IW?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+(News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News)

[Alphen]

7 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

Alphen,

I am trying to find this reported in other English language Malaysian news outlets. No luck so far.

Reuters picked it up, but maybe from the same Malaysian source;

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-malaysia/american-from-cruise-ship-docked-in-cambodia-tests-positive-in-malaysia-for-coronavirus-idUSKBN2090IW

[Level six]

Delete, already posted above

Edited February 15, 2020 by Level six

[Coral]

41 minutes ago, Level six said:

Considering today would only be the 14th day of the cruise....incubation period for the virus and since Hong Kong......I am afraid this will not be the only one on that cruise. 

 

Also, since tests around the world are taking 2-3 days, how were the passengers "cleared" in only a few hours? What test did they have?  What a mess.  

 

Our local news is reporting tests take 6 hours for Coronaviruses. We have a lab that can run it.

 

We have some people from Wuhan staying close by so this has been in our news.

Edited February 15, 2020 by Coral

[Mandalay1903]

8 minutes ago, Alphen said:

Reuters picked it up, but maybe from the same Malaysian source;

Reuters' source seems to be a statement from the Malaysian health ministry.

[ilovhywd]

We share everyone's concern, and we too are disappointed that our upcoming cruise on the Westerdam will most likely be cancelled.

 

But we hope we're not the only ones who feel sad about all the employees in Asia in the tourist industries such as hotels, restaurants, tour guides, bus drivers, etc. who will be laid off and whose families will suffer.

[BarbarianPaul]

1 hour ago, Fredric22 said:

 

There is no need for these kinds of panicked posts.   500+ people have died of the seasonal flu today alone and 30,000+ people have died so far this season.  There will always be viruses, diseases, etc. around us.  Unless we wrap ourselves up in plastic wrap and stay inside our house, there will always be a risk of catching something.  

I’m inclined to agree. But in terms of Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, etc, this news will validate their decision to turn the Westerdam away, whether or not it’s actually justified, and doesn’t bode well for any more cruising in Asia this season. And now the crew could be quarantined. Ugh.
 

 

[Earthworm Jim]

1 hour ago, Fredric22 said:

 

There is no need for these kinds of panicked posts.   500+ people have died of the seasonal flu today alone and 30,000+ people have died so far this season.  There will always be viruses, diseases, etc. around us.  Unless we wrap ourselves up in plastic wrap and stay inside our house, there will always be a risk of catching something.  

 

Everyone tries to compare it to the deaths due to the flu, but there are great differences. You're much, much more likely to catch the flu than coronavirus. But you're much, much more likely to recover from the flu than coronavirus if you catch it. As in 100 times more likely. (Flu death rate about 2 per 100,000 and I believe I saw coronavirus death rate is around 2 per 100)

 

Of course, it's also a familiarity thing. Like driving a car, we're accustomed to and accept the risks of the flu even though there is a real danger. We've all had flu before. But since the coronavirus is a new threat, we're more scared of it.

Edited February 15, 2020 by Earthworm Jim

[CJcruzer]

2 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

I’m inclined to agree. But in terms of Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, etc, this news will validate their decision to turn the Westerdam away, whether or not it’s actually justified, and doesn’t bode well for any more cruising in Asia this season. And now the crew could be quarantined. Ugh.
 

 

 

totally in agreement with your assessment,

 

Now it is up to HAL to make a decision, and we pretty much all know what that decision SHOULD be.

 

Hope the almighty dollar does not win out over common sense.

 

Carol

[Level six]

2 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

I’m inclined to agree. But in terms of Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, etc, this news will validate their decision to turn the Westerdam away, whether or not it’s actually justified, and doesn’t bode well for any more cruising in Asia this season. And now the crew could be quarantined. Ugh.
 

 

 

Agree, plus poor people in Cambodia, all greeting the guests without masks, shaking hands.  Hopefully it will not infect several people in Cambodia, they cannot handle it.  

[Viv0828]

3 hours ago, gatour said:

The Japanese ports have been closed to cruiseships for a couple of weeks and remain closed.  Thanks for the info but this is old information

 

if that is so and it's old news, what is going to happen with the feb 29 cruise of the westerdam that was going to primarily japanese ports? if the cruise happens, where will it go?

[Mandalay1903]

15 minutes ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Everyone tries to compare it to the deaths due to the flu, but there are great differences. You're much, much more likely to catch the flu than coronavirus. But you're much, much more likely to recover from the flu than coronavirus if you catch it. As in 100 times more likely. (Flu death rate about 2 per 100,000 and I believe I saw coronavirus death rate is around 2 per 100)

 

Of course, it's also a familiarity thing. Like driving a car, we're accustomed to and accept the risks of the flu even though there is a real danger. We've all had flu before. But since the coronavirus is a new threat, we're more scared of it.

Agree. I'm also curious about what portion of people who passed away from the flu had had their flu shots.  Last time I checked there is no immunization for Covid-19.  The flu is a bad situation in many places and so are other causes of deaths, but Covid-19 is a new situation that they're still trying to understand and prevent from getting out of hand.

Edited February 15, 2020 by Mandalay1903