Passengers on the MSC ship Preziosa had to wait 6+ hours to disembark at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on Sunday, January 2, due to an inspection by Brazilian health authorities that confirmed a total of 28 COVID cases onboard - 26 passengers and 2 crew.
In a statement, Rio’s health secretariat said that among those who tested positive, people living in Rio/the nearby region could quarantine themselves at home. Others had first to isolate themselves in hotels. There was no information provided about who would pay for the costs.
Following the inspection, the liner was authorized by Anvisa to continue operations. Other guests were waiting to embark for Salvador de Bahia. MSC Preziosa had set out from the Brazilian resort Buzios.
MSC said it applied protocols that were "stricter and stronger than in any other travel industry,” adding that only vaccinated people were allowed to board, and that it conducted regular tests on passengers and crew.
The company added that when identified, positive cases were isolated in cabins with balconies and disembarked at the itinerary's first port. Cases identified onboard were "only a small fraction of those identified on land.”
MSC declined to say how many passengers were onboard or what their nationalities were.
For more MSC Preziosa incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.