MSC Opera Continues Cruise Itinerary to Corfu after Coronavirus Incident

Photo Source: @MSC Cruises

An MSC Cruises liner was given the green light by Greek health authorities late on Wednesday, to depart from Piraeus to Corfu after a Covid-19 incident on board the ship forced all passengers to remain temporarily quarantined.

MSC Cruises said all passengers were kept on board the MSC Opera “as a precaution” after it was found that a former passenger from Austria, who had taken a two-week East Mediterranean cruise in February and disembarked in Genoa, Italy, had been infected with the coronavirus.

The company said it had contacted Greek health authorities when the MSC Opera arrived in Piraeus, and provided them with the ship’s medical records.

“We requested at the same time that passengers, as a precautionary measure, remain on board while awaiting guidance from the local authorities,” an MSC Cruises representative told Sky News.

The MSC Opera, carrying some 2,000 passengers, was scheduled to arrive at Corfu port on Thursday morning.

Greek shipping ministry sources said the company had confirmed that there was no reason for concern. The Corfu Port Authority also verified that there was no suspected coronavirus incident among the passengers and that a thorough inspection had been carried out by health authorities and the shipowner.

“In any case, and regardless of the measures already taken by the cruise company, the Corfu Port Authority is in constant contact with the competent health services, the Central Port Authority of Corfu, the Ionian Islands Region and the Corfu Municipality, enforcing EODY (National Public Health Organization) guidelines,” the port authority said.

Meanwhile, the Greek health ministry announced on Thursday, that the number of Greece’s confirmed coronavirus cases has increased to 31.