BANGKOK: Thailand has refused permission for passengers from Holland America’s cruise ship MS Westerdam to disembark, its health minister said on Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the spreading novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The company, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, had said on Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Feb 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody aboard had the virus. Permission to disembark refused,” Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post. According to USA Today, The MS Westerdam, which is carrying 1,455 guests and 802 crew members, was earlier denied entry to ports in Japan, the Philippines and Guam. The ship set sail from Hong Kong on Feb 1.

Source: New Strait Times February 11, 2020 01:30 UTC