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Cruise is canceled in the middle of the trip due to positive cases to Covid-19
Almost 3,000 vacationers will have to fly home
Among 2,844 travelers and 1,353 people in a group, 68 positive cases were registered, 60 of them among the staff of the travel company.
Approximately 3,000 travelers, mostly Germans, had to interrupt their trip to the Canary Islands on Monday, after an outbreak of COVID-19 forced them to land in Lisbon, according to Portuguese representatives.
The head of the maritime police, Diogo Vieira Branco, assured that the travelers who tested positive, in the "AIDAnova" (German manufacture), were immediately transferred by transport to go immediately to the Lisbon air terminal before dawn.
The ship arrived in Lisbon, after leaving the port of La Coruña, in northwestern Spain, along with 2,844 travelers and 1,353 crew members (its limits are 5,200 people).
It was expected to reach the Canary Islands, after passing through the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Following the presence of the main virus cases, on Wednesday, the administrator of AIDA Cruises Sunday, chose to suspend the trip for the well-being and strength of its visitors and their team, a spokesperson told AFP.
On Monday, 68 positive cases were registered on the cruise ship, 60 of them are part of the cruise crew team.
The Lisbon maritime police declared that the infected tourists are asymptomatic or have extremely mild symptoms. He added that some of them are isolated in some hotels located in Lisbon.
At the moment it has not been decided when the cruise ship will leave the Portuguese port, completely empty. However, the possibility is estimated to be between January 4 and 5, added the Lisbon maritime police chief.
A group of 15 contaminated members of the crew were distinguished in the routine examinations, and then, as the hours passed, it became 52. For this reason, they chose to abandon their visit to the Portuguese archipelago and schedule their take-off to the region. Spanish, Sunday.
Unpolluted travelers have had the option of visiting the city, during these days in the Portuguese capital. While the contaminated have been transferred to offices on land.
On December 31, Graça Freitas, the Portuguese Director General of Health, stated in a statement that COVID-19 cases had been recognized on the ship and that progress was positive.