Thousands held on Hong Kong cruise ship for COVID testing

HONG KONG — Thousands of passengers were being held Wednesday connected a cruise vessel successful Hong Kong for coronavirus investigating aft wellness authorities said 9 passengers were linked to a caller omicron clump and ordered the vessel to crook back.

Authorities forced the Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas ship, which began sailing connected Sunday connected a “cruise to nowhere,” to instrumentality a time aboriginal connected Wednesday, according to a authorities statement.

The vessel was ordered to instrumentality aft 9 passengers were identified arsenic adjacent contacts of an infected diligent who was linked to a caller omicron cluster.

The vessel returned to Hong Kong connected Wednesday greeting and passengers were being held onboard portion they awaited testing.

Royal Caribbean said successful a connection that the 9 guests were instantly isolated and had each tested negative, and that the institution was moving intimately with authorities to comply with epidemic prevention policies and regulations.

Over the past week, Hong Kong authorities person locked down respective residential buildings linked to emerging omicron clusters arsenic it sought to forestall the dispersed of the coronavirus variant successful the city.

The clusters emerged aft respective Cathay Pacific unit members broke isolation rules and dined astatine restaurants and bars successful the city, earlier investigating affirmative for the omicron variant.

Royal Caribbean said guests who were on-board the affected vessel would person a 25% refund connected their cruise fare. The ship’s Thursday sailing was besides cancelled arsenic the unit has to acquisition mandatory tests, and those guests volition person a afloat refund.