Passengers on MSC Seaside cruise ship test positive for COVID-19, disembark in Sicily

The island is a featured stop on MSC Cruises’ Caribbean itineraries sailing from Florida including MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside, MSC Divina and MSC Armonia. (Photo: MSC Cruises)

Two passengers on board MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaside ship tested positive for COVID-19, disembarking Tuesday during a scheduled port call Siracusa a city in Sicily, Italy.

Both passengers were asymptomatic and tested positive during a routine test that is scheduled midway through the itinerary during all MSC cruises, Paige Rosenthal, MSC spokesperson, told USA TODAY Wednesday.

“Immediately after testing positive, the two passengers and their traveling parties were isolated,” Rosenthal said. “Similarly, their close contacts were quickly identified and isolated.”

Those passengers traveling with the two guests who tested positive all tested negative, as did other close contacts.

All MSC passengers are required to take a test before leaving home 48- to 96 hours prior to the cruise’s departure time and one more before embarkation. “This was their third test,” Rosenthal said.

After getting off the ship, the two passengers and accompanying parties were taken home by “protected MSC Cruises transport” in coordination with local health authorities.

MSC Seaside has since left Siracusa and is continuing on the itinerary as scheduled.

The passengers who tested positive and those in their party were not allowed to disembark in Malta where the ship docked ahead of the Siracusa port call, given it was a technical stop and passengers were never meant to get off the ship, CNN reported.

Rosenthal said that the two positive COVID-19 tests are “another demonstration” that the cruise line’s health and safety protocol is working. MSC has been cruising in the Mediterranean since the summer.

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