A giant gastroenteritis epidemic has broken out on a cruise liner. Nearly 500 people were infected, forcing the Royal Caribbean company to shorten the trip.
Nightmare at sea. Gastroenteritis has invited itself on the‘Oasis of the Seas, the third largest and most prestigious liner in the world, which left Florida on Sunday for a dream vacation to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico. A total of 475 passengers and crew members fell ill, of which around 100 were confined to their cabins.
A dream trip cut short
It all started on Wednesday, when 170 passengers and a crew member were ill. The situation was such that the Jamaican authorities refused access to their island to the liner, which therefore continued to sail towards the island of Cozumel, reports CNN. The next day, 250 people were bothered by gastro symptoms. The excursion to the island of Cozumel was finally canceled and the Royal Caribbean company decided to shorten the trip by returning to Orlando a day early. “We think the best thing to do is to get everyone home earlier, rather than having guests worrying about their health,” Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said at the time. Belga agency.
Disinfection operation on the liner
The liner therefore moored in the United States this Saturday. The passengers were “sorted” by the port authorities. The company said it would reimburse the entire cruise for all passengers, sick or not, and that it would cover the hotel night from Saturday to Sunday imposed on passengers. “We are sorry for this unfortunate circumstance. We appreciate your understanding and hope you can enjoy the time you have left on board,” she apologized in a letter to all passengers.
The staff is now working to clean and disinfect the stair railings and all the furniture, in order to limit the spread of the virus. “Draconian measures are being taken to ensure that the ship is cleaned and disinfected before its next navigation,” the company also said on Twitter.
How to protect yourself from gastro?
Gastro has already crossed the epidemic threshold in certain regions of France. Some rules should, however, allow you to slip through the cracks. The first, which seems logical but which we may tend to forget: wash our hands with soap very frequently, especially as soon as we get home, after taking transport, before eating and after going in the toilet. You should also avoid sharing your glass and cutlery at the table, regularly clean the surfaces touched by everyone in a house such as toilets, sinks or door handles!
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