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SINGAPORE: Singapore’s pilot plan for “safe cruises” with COVID-19 protocols will continue as planned, and the Government will monitor the results of the trips before deciding the next steps for the cruises.
This follows the “swift and robust response” to an alleged COVID-19 case aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a press release on Thursday (December 10). .
The elderly passenger, who initially tested positive for COVID-19 aboard the Quantum of the Seas ship, was confirmed not to have the coronavirus after testing negative three times since the ship returned to Singapore on Wednesday.
READ: Close Contacts of Cruise Ship Passengers Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 Have Quarantine Orders Rescinded After Third Negative Test
“Safety remains our top priority, and yesterday’s incident has provided us with valuable learnings for future travel, such as the importance of using TraceTogether to effectively track contacts,” said Keith Tan, CEO of STB.
“It has also ensured that our established response to any future COVID-19 cases is swift and effective,” he said.
Mr. Tan commended Royal Caribbean International and the SATS-Creuers terminal operator for the “timely execution” of their emergency protocols.
He also praised Genting Cruise Lines, which had another ship set to sail from the same terminal on Wednesday, for supporting security operations by boarding its passengers early to prevent them from getting mixed up.
“Their professionalism gives us confidence that our pilot cruises will continue to be safe and sustainable, as we work with our partners and cruise lines to chart a new course for safe navigation,” Tan said.
READ: Possible Royal Caribbean COVID-19 Case: Protocols Show ‘Robustness’ of System, Says Chan Chun Sing
Earlier on Thursday, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said protocols taken after the passenger had initially tested positive highlighted the “robustness” of the system.
“From yesterday’s experience, it shows the robustness of the system that once you discover that there is a positive, be it a real positive or a false positive, you immediately take action to perform the subsequent tests, do isolation, contact tracking “said Mr. Chan, when asked about the incident.
“So while yesterday may have turned out to be a false alarm, it has actually allowed the cruise industry to test all the protocols to see how we can do this well and do it better.”
ACTIVATED SECURITY PROTOCOLS
Royal Caribbean International and Genting Cruise Lines were allowed to resume pilot cruises with no ports of call in November and December, respectively, after meeting the requirements of the government’s mandatory CruiseSafe certification program, STB said.
Tracing the chain of events on Wednesday, STB noted that the ship with 1,680 passengers and 1,148 crew returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Center after the passenger tested positive according to testing procedures aboard the ship.
READ: ‘I will definitely go again’ – Some Royal Caribbean passengers say they have no regrets going on a cruise ship that was interrupted by the COVID-19 case
Protocols such as cessation of all onboard leisure activities, asking passengers to stay in their rooms, immediate isolation from close contacts and extensive contact tracing with TraceTogether were then activated, he said.
“Passengers and crew were also asked to remain on board until contact tracing was completed, and disembarkation began at 7.30 pm, less than 12 hours after the ship returned to the terminal,” STB said.
READ: Royal Caribbean cruise passenger who tested positive for COVID-19 taken to hospital; other passengers to stay on board
READ: Royal Caribbean cruise passengers disembark from ship where man tested positive for COVID-19
In addition to the emergency protocols put into action on Wednesday, precautionary measures such as mandatory COVID-19 testing, reduced navigational capacity and strict safe distancing measures were also implemented, the tourism board added.
“Many of these measures, such as pre-boarding and post-arrival tests, go beyond current Singapore requirements for other environments or activities, and provide further assurance for safe navigation,” said STB.
“The government will continue to monitor the results of the pilots’ trips in the coming months before deciding the next steps for the cruise ships.”
In a separate press release Thursday, the Health Ministry said it would support the laboratory aboard Quantum of the Seas in its review of its testing processes.
On Wednesday night, Royal Caribbean International said it would cancel its Quantum of the Seas cruise originally scheduled to sail Thursday “in an overabundance of caution,” and that departures would resume on December 14.
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