After suspected cholera on the “Norwegian Dawn”, the Mauritian authorities have given the all-clear. Passengers on board are therefore allowed to leave the ship on Tuesday morning.
For the passengers of the cruise ship “Norwegian Dawn,” an end to the involuntary stopover off the East African island of Mauritius due to suspected cholera is in sight. The local authorities had banned the ship from docking in the port of the capital Port Louis on Sunday – because 14 passengers and one crew member were said to be suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. The French island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean had previously rejected the ship.
However, samples showed that the illnesses were not cholera, as the Mauritian Ministry of Health announced. The people tested were previously isolated in their rooms. The shipping company said that the hygiene measures on board had been increased and all necessary measures had been taken to protect the guests, the crew and the travel destinations.
The cruise ship set off from South Africa in mid-February on its journey via Madagascar and La Réunion to Mauritius.
Severe cholera outbreak in southern Africa
There are almost 2,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members on the ship. The majority of the passengers were actually supposed to disembark in Port Louis, and almost 2,300 were supposed to board again, the authorities said. This is now possible from Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.
Southern Africa is currently experiencing one of the worst cholera outbreaks in years. The disease is caused by a bacterium that produces a poison in the intestines. It is spread primarily through contaminated drinking water and contaminated food. Many infections have no symptoms, but in severe cases the severe loss of fluid and salt can lead to circulatory collapse, muscle cramps and even shock and death within hours.
Stephan Ueberbach, ARD Johannesburg, tagesschau, February 26, 2024 4:24 p.m