- Title: Portugal to repatriate passengers of cruise ship from Brazil
- Date: 22nd March 2020
- Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) CRUISE SHIP 'MSC FANTASIA' DOCKED AT LISBON PORT PASSENGERS ONBOARD SAYING (Portuguese): "CORONA IS OVER THERE, NOT HERE, HERE THERE'S NO CORONA" PASSENGERS ONBOARD GIVING THUMBS UP PASSENGER TAKING PICTURES VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS ON DECK CREW MEMBERS MSC FANTASIA CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS TAKING PICTURES PASSENGERS ON DECK MSC FANTASIA DOCKED MSC FANTASIA DOCKED / EMPTY ROADS
- Embargoed: 5th April 2020 15:00
- Keywords: Lisbon Portugal coronavirus cruise cruising emergency pandemic virus
- Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- City: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C64VSXZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Portuguese authorities began the coronavirus testing and repatriation process for 1,338 passengers from 38 countries aboard a cruise ship en route from Brazil that docked in Lisbon on Sunday (March 22) after its other European stopovers had been cancelled.
The interior ministry said passengers of the MSC Fantasia, mostly from the European Union, Britain, Brazil and Australia, would stay aboard until all have been tested for the virus, after which those tested negative would be allowed to disembark.
It said authorities in Portugal, which imposed a state of emergency over the rapidly spreading pandemic on Wednesday (March 18) with restrictions on movement of people, were coordinating the repatriation efforts with embassies of various countries.
There are 27 Portuguese citizens and some with residency permits who will be tested on Sunday (March 22) afternoon.
No suspected cases have been reported so far on the ship, which left Rio de Janeiro on March 9, according to the Lisbon port authority.
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab tweeted on Sunday he had discussed the repatriation of Britons from the MSC Fantasia with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva.
The final destination of the ship, which can carry 4,363 passengers and 1,370 crew, had been Genoa in Italy, which is Europe's worst-hit country by the virus.
Portugal has so far reported 1,600 cases of the virus and 14 deaths, far below the tens of thousands of cases in Italy and Spain - the two worst-hit European countries.
After doubling on Saturday (March 21) to 12, the death toll increased only slightly overnight, but the number of infections rose by a quarter, the health authority DGS said.
Health Minister Marta Temido has said the epidemic is only expected to peak in Portugal around April 14.
(Production: Miguel Pereira) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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