PUTRAJAYA has decided to bar any cruise ships coming from or transited China from docking in Malaysian waters, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.

“For the time being, the government has decided not to allow any cruise ship that has originated or transited China from entering Malaysia,” she said at a press conference today.

This decision comes on the heel of the 22nd Covid-19 case, where an elderly US citizen who was on board the Westerdam cruise ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia tested positive for the virus.

The cruise ship, owned by Seattle-based Holland America Line, had departed Hong Kong on February 1. It was supposed to end its 14-day East Asia cruise in Shanghai, China.

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the cruise had switched its disembarkation point to Yokohama, Japan, but was denied entry on arrival.

It subsequently tried to dock at several other countries but was also denied until Cambodia allowed it to dock in Sihanoukville.

The American tested positive after being found symptomatic upon arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.

On that note, Dr Wan Azizah said the remaining passengers of the Westerdam cruise still in Cambodia will not be allowed to enter Malaysia, considering they were close contacts of the victim.

She said the decision was made in this morning’s meeting attended by the prime minister, health minister, health director-general, the secretaries-general of the Foreign, Home  and Transport Ministries, the Immigration Department director-general, the National Security Council and the National Disaster Management Agency.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines Bhd has cancelled chartered flights booked by Holland America Line to fly the remaining passengers out of Cambodia, after the 83-year-old tested positive yesterday.

She and her husband had arrived along with 143 other passengers in the MH8763 flight, which touched down in KLIA at 7pm yesterday. 

While the woman tested positive, her 85-year-old husband tested negative for the virus.

A total of 137 passengers of the 143 passengers who were found to be asymptomatic has continued on with their journey while six are still waiting for their connecting flights to their final destination.

According to Malaysia Airlines, the six are currently under quarantine while the crew of the first flight are under home quarantine.

Meanwhile, Cambodian authorities called on Malaysian authorities to review its test results.

The passengers were tested regularly on board and Cambodia had also tested 20 people once the ship docked.

To this, Dr Wan Azizah said that 20 people account for less than 10% of the ship’s passengers and the Malaysian authorities are doing the needful.

“We are not questioning. When it comes to us we have to be careful. As for Cambodia, they did what was deemed sufficient,” she said. – February 16, 2020.