MONTEVIDEO - More than 80 passengers and crew aboard an Australian cruise ship off South America have tested positive for the coronavirus, the cruise company and officials in Uruguay announced on Monday .
The vessel was on a voyage to Antarctica and South Georgia with Australian tour company Aurora Expeditions, leaving the Argentine port of Ushuaia on March 15. "We know that there is a relatively high percentage of infected people but only six required to be transferred to Montevideo hospitals because they were at risk," Uruguay's Foreign Minister Ernesto Talvi told local Channel 10 news.Aurora said it had begun the"extraordinarily complicated" task of repatriating passengers, as most airlines had stopped flying"and access to charter planes is difficult".
"We are confident that group one, well people who have tested negative, will be able to disembark and leave," the company said in a statement on Monday.
🇺🇾The Humanitarian Corridor closes tomorrow with the most complex operation: 112 passengers from the ship Greg Mortimer will be transferred to the airport to take a medical flight to Melbourne. Citizens can be calm. Everything will be done with absolute health safety standards.
🇺🇾´s Chancellor said now: After intense talks and very close cooperation with the Australian Government, Uruguay authorized the landing and takeoff of a Humanitarian Flight on April 9. A medical evacuation plane will repatriate Australians and New Zealanders from Greg Mortimer
Uruguay´s Chancellor also said: The most important thing is that the infected or contaminated people, who are presumed to be the majority of the crew and passengers, are asymptomatic or present mild symptoms.
Greg Mortimer Cruise: Uruguay´s Chancellor said that the situation is totally controlled!! 🇺🇾👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Uruguay´s Chancellor has been present during on-board healthcare.🇺🇾👍
Yes, they are here with a medical follow-up and with the certainty that everyone will return home. Force!🇺🇾🇦🇺💪💪The sanitary cord that the Uruguay´s Chancellor has formed is unique in the world in these difficult times, with the purpose that each human being returns home!.
And in Singapore, no news yet.