66 passengers aboard Mumbai-Goa cruise ship test positive for COVID-19
As many as 66 passengers on board the Cordelia cruise ship headed to Goa have tested positive for the coronavirus. The samples of all the 2,000-odd passengers were tested after a crew member was diagnosed with COVID-19. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said the government will take "appropriate measures" for the disembarking of passengers.
Why does it matter?
The worrying development comes amid growing concerns over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in several Indian states and cities. The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus is also spreading fast. In Delhi, 84% of new COVID-19 cases during December 30-31 involved that strain. India is "clearly in the third wave of COVID-19," Dr. NK Arora, a top government expert, told NDTV.
Tests were conducted on Sunday
On Sunday, a medical team went on board the ship to conduct the RT-PCR test of all the passengers. "Respective collectors & MPT staff have been informed of the same. The authorities will decide whether to allow disembarking of passengers from the ship (sic)," Rane said. The ship is currently docked near Mormugao Port cruise terminal.
New curbs in Goa after COVID-19 surge
Meanwhile, Goa recorded 631 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, Rane said. The state also reported four more cases of Omicron and one of the patients had no travel history. The government of Goa will likely impose a night curfew across the state from 11 pm to 6 am. The state administration has already announced a closure of schools and colleges.
India's COVID-19 situation
On Monday morning, India recorded 33,750 COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, marking a 22% jump from Sunday's count. At least 123 people died due to the disease during the same period. Meanwhile, India's tally of infections involving Omicron has reached 1,700. The highly infectious strain has spread to 23 states with Maharashtra being the worst hit (510 cases), followed by Delhi (351).
