A cruise ship with 609 people on board has been kept in isolation at the Port of Recife since Thursday morning (Mar. 12). One of the passengers showed symptoms similar to those caused by the new coronavirus, reported state authorities in Pernambuco, northeast Brazil.
The vessel carries a Bahamas flag and should have headed off from Salvador, capital of Bahia state.
During landing in Recife, a 78-year-old man who lives in Canada displayed fever, a cough, and difficulty breathing. He was sent to a private hospital in the city. The 318 passengers and 291 crew members are being isolated in their rooms, the official statement reads.
The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) is also said to have immediately suspended further people from leaving the ship, and ordered the return of those who were no longer on it.
“As a prevention and sanitary control measure, port authorities also kept the garbage in the vessel from being discharged,” the secretary said, adding that the wharf has also been isolated.
*With information from Reuters
