Uruguay: 400+ cruise ship passengers isolated after tourist tests positive for Covid-19

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAcrZIL – An Argentine tourist began to show symptoms after departing from Buenos Aires and, upon detecting the coronavirus infection, the Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health (MSP) ordered all passengers to be isolated until confirmation of the Covid-19 variant involved.

“He tested positive after entering with a negative PCR. He entered negative, but later tested positive,” said today Uruguay’s Deputy Minister of Tourism Remo Monzeglio.

However, Monzeglio said that “Uruguay has decided that these people may go to a hotel, monitored, quarantining there and taking the necessary precautions to perform the corresponding PCR tests during the waiting days.”

As reported by Uruguay’s National Ports Administration (ANP) via Twitter, the Norwegian-flagged cruise ship arrived in Montevideo with 423 passengers and both they and crew are covered with the three doses of the vaccine against Covid-19.

When the Viking Jupiter ends its stay in Uruguay, it is expected to continue its voyage to Puerto Madryn, province of Chubut.

The Viking Jupiter was prevented from docking in Buenos Aires after its passage through Africa, where the Omicron variant of Covid-19 emerged.

As a result, the vessel brought forward its arrival in Montevideo to Friday, a day later it passed through Punta del Este, and on Sunday it returned to the Uruguayan capital. From there, it departed to Argentina and on December 7 the tourist who later tested positive for Covid-19 boarded the ship.

Despite the positive case on the Viking Jupiter, Monzeglio ruled out further restrictions that could impact the tourist season. “I don’t think there will be restrictions during the summer season,” the official said.