by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:10 AM ET, Mon February 10, 2020
Passengers on a quarantined cruise ship in Hong Kong have been cleared to leave after all crew members on board tested negative for the coronavirus.
According to BBC.com, the World Dream cruise ship arrived last week at a port near Kai Tak when several crew members reported feeling ill. As a result, health officials in Hong Kong quarantined the ship until tests were completed on all 1,800 crew members.
The quarantine was lifted Sunday and all of the passengers and crew members stuck onboard were permitted to leave. Port official Leung Yiu-hon said there was "no need for further surveillance or follow-up" for those who were quarantined on the ship.
"Dream Cruises is cooperating fully with all health authorities and is complying with all official guidelines and instructions to safeguard the health of its guests, crew and the general public," a company spokesperson told CNBC last week.
While the World Dream has been cleared, the cruise industry has been shaken to its core by the viral outbreak. Norwegian Cruise Line canceled all Asia-bound sailings aboard Norwegian Spirit from April 15 through December 7 "due to growing concerns regarding coronavirus."
In addition, Royal Caribbean announced it has banned guests with Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passports from boarding its ships until further notice. The cruise line made the revelation as part of its new health-screening protocols.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has also adopted stricter coronavirus screenings across its member cruise lines.
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