Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Joël Achille
Published on 2024-02-27 08:25:35
Delicious food, tasty cocktails, relaxation by the pool, late-night discos… a dream quarantine stay. “It’s like a five, six, or even seven-star hotel!”
The passengers of the Norwegian Dawn mostly enjoyed the few days of quarantine off the coast of Port Louis, despite the health risks that threatened the occupants of this cruise ship.
Indeed, the Mauritian authorities, through the Ministry of Health, over the weekend banned the ship from docking at the port.
Fears of a cholera epidemic on board prevailed. This was due to a dozen passengers suffering from unknown ailments, characterized by vomiting.
After stops in South Africa and Madagascar, the Norwegian Dawn was supposed to head to the territory of La Reunion. However, the sister island opposed it due to health risks.
The ship consequently continued its journey to the coast of Port Louis, where around 2,000 passengers were supposed to disembark, while 2,279 passengers were supposed to board last Sunday.
However, the Mauritian authorities prohibited the cruise ship from docking on Mauritian shores, placing all passengers and crew members in quarantine.
Presenting signs of infection from a previously unknown virus, a dozen cruise passengers were confined to their rooms, assisted by the onboard medical team.
On Sunday morning, samples were taken by Ministry of Health officials from about fifteen passengers for analysis to confirm or refute the presence of cholera.
While waiting for the results, life aboard the cruise ship was idyllic, according to a Mauritian who boarded in South Africa in early February.
After a hearty breakfast, the days were filled with activities around the pools, much to the delight of the children. Relaxation was key.
The forced and extended vacation pleased many. Although some seemed tense due to the flights they might miss in Mauritius to return to their countries.
Delicious dishes were also offered in the cruise ship’s restaurants for dinner and lunch. Alcoholic beverages and unique cocktails were quickly popular.
At night, the nightclubs remained open until late. “Mari amize!” a passenger testifies, not unhappy with this imposed quarantine.
On Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Health finally announced that no cases of cholera were detected on board. The dozen confined passengers actually suffer from gastroenteritis.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
