Page 11 - HOH

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 February 2020
Mexico confirms first 2 cases

of coronavirus

MEXICO CITY (AP) —
Mexico’s assistant health
secretary announced Fri-
day that the country now
has two confirmed cases In this April 14, 2008 file photo, the Fred Olson Cruise Liner
of the new coronavirus. Braemar is docked at the port in Havana, Cuba.
Hugo Lopez-Gatell said Associated Press
one of the patients is in Cruise ship sails to
Mexico City and the oth-
er in the northern state St. Maarten after
of Sinaloa. While a sec-
ond test is still pending on OVID-19 scare
that case, he said, “We
are treating this as con- By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN The Braemar's troubles shift-
firmed.” Neither is seri- Associated Press ed attention from the long-
ously ill; one is in isolation HAVANA (AP) — A British suffering passengers of the
at a hospital, the other is cruise ship turned away by MSC Meraviglia, which had
isolated at a hotel. the Dominican Republic af- been turned away from
At least five family con- ter passengers suffered flu- two ports before docking in
tacts of the first patient like symptoms was await- Mexico's Caribbean coast
have been placed in iso- ing approval to dock on resort of Cozumel on Thurs-
lation. He said the men the island of St. Maarten on day. They weren't allowed
had traveled to the north- Friday, officials said. It was off for a day while health
ern Italian region where one of at least three ships checks were carried out.
there has been an out- barred from a Caribbean Tests found influenza, but
break and had returned Family wear masks over their mouth as a precaution port this week. not the COVID-19 virus, in
to Mexico between last against the spread of the new coronavirus outside a Dominican officials said a crew member and pas-
Friday and Saturday. national hospital that specializes in respiratory diseases, they blocked the Braemar senger, opening the way
President Andrés Man- the INER, in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. from the Romana cruise for others aboard the ship
uel López Obrador ap- Associated Press port — where the cruise to finally disembark.
peared to downplay the every weekday, an- capital, while the Sinaloa had been scheduled to Some of the roughly 4,500
seriousness of the COV- nounced that his officials case involves a 41-year- end — after its captain re- passengers went ashore
ID-19 virus, saying “it isn’t will now hold news con- old resident of Hidalgo ported four Filipinos, two in Cozumel on Friday, ac-
even equivalent to flu.” ferences on coronavirus state. British citizens and two U.S. cording to MSC cruises.
Seasonal flu kills more every night. The confirmed cases citizens under medical ob- "Spirits, overall, were high
people because it has in- Lopez-Gatell also said shifted attention from the servation for symptoms – especially in light of the
fected far more people, that Mexico’s traditional long-suffering passengers such as fever, coughing, or difficult situation that had
but the new virus appears culture of hearty hand- of the MSC Meraviglia, breathing difficulty. developed over the previ-
to have a far higher mor- shakes, friendly hugs and which had been turned Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ous day, " according to the
tality rate. kisses as a form of greet- away from two ports be- said in an emailed state- company, which said it will
In the central China city ing must change. fore docking in Mexico’s ment that it had reported offer passengers 100 per-
of Wuhan, where the Lopez-Gatell drew a Caribbean coast resort "a small number of influ- cent refunds of cruise fares
new coronavirus first ex- chuckle from the presi- of Cozumel on Thursday. enza-like cases on board" "due to the disruptive na-
ploded, 2% to 4% of pa- dent when he suggested The passengers were fi- that did not appear linked ture of their vacation."
tients have died, accord- replacing those greeting nally allowed off the ship to the new coronavirus The ship was scheduled to
ing to the World Health with a self-hug —a ges- on Friday after health and the patients had re- depart Cozumel late Friday
Organization. But in the ture that López Obrador checks found influenza, covered. and return to its home port
rest of China, the death frequently uses in front but no cases of the new "It is our opinion that this is of Miami on Sunday.
rate has been 0.7%. On of large crowds when he coronavirus, in a crew an overreaction by the Do- A third vessel, the M/V
average, the death rate can’t greet people indi- member and passenger. minican Republic,'' Fred. Costa Favolosa, was
from seasonal flu is about vidually. Some of the roughly 4,580 Olsen said in a written turned away from port in
0.1%. The Roman Catholic Bish- passengers went ashore statement. the British Virgin Islands on
“I repeat, according to ops Conference in Mex- in Cozumel on Friday, ac- Officials said the ship was Wednesday. The territory's
the available information, ico said in a statement cording to MSC Cruises, carrying 1,128 mostly British government said several
it is not something terrible, Friday that Mass-goers which said it will offer pas- passengers and 384 crew passengers had flown from
fatal,” López Obrador should substitute verbal sengers 100 percent re- members. Italy and boarded the ship
said. “There shouldn’t be for physical greetings funds of cruise fares “due The ship sailed to the Dutch in Guadeloupe and that
any yellow journalism, or when exchanging the rit- to the disruptive nature of island of St. Maarten and there were cases of influ-
exaggerations, to cause ual expressions of peace, their vacation.” was awaiting approval to enza reported aboard.
a mass psychosis of fear, and that communion “Spirits, overall, were high dock there Friday morning, "In light of the public and
of terror.” wafers should be placed – especially in light of the port officials in St. Maarten health safety actions be-
Brazil on Wednesday in parishioners’ hands difficult situation that had said. The cruise line's web- ing taken in Italy in reaction
confirmed Latin Ameri- rather than their mouths, developed over the pre- site shows the ship had to COVID-19, including the
ca’s first confirmed case both as preventive mea- vious day,” according to been due to pick up an- quarantine of select cities
of the new coronavirus in sures. the company. other load of passengers and cancellation of its own
a man who traveled to Mexico’s Health Depart- The ship was scheduled and set off on a new cruise carnival activities, a deci-
Italy this month. ment said the case in to depart Cozumel late Thursday night. The cruise sion was made to err on
López Obrador, who Mexico City involved a Friday and return to its line said it had sent a team the side of caution," it said.
holds wide-ranging news 35-year-old Italian man home port of Miami, Flori- to the Dominican Republic The ship, which has a ca-
conferences almost who lives in the Mexican da on Sunday.q to help those passengers pacity of 3,800 passengers,
get home. later went to St. Maarten.q