USVI Authorities Turn Away Cruise Ship Amid Coronavirus Concerns

For the first time since the Coronavirus became a pandemic, authorities in St Thomas are forced to turn away a cruise ship.

On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard denied entry to Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas.’

According to the V.I. Port Authority, the Coast Guard denied the request because a crew member on board had traveled to Japan within the last 14 days.

Though there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus on the ship, the ships request to berth was denied in the interest of public health safety for the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the Port Authority.

 However, the U.S. Coast Guard did allow the ship to dock momentarily, to allow a seriously injured passenger get off the ship to receive treatment at a St. Thomas hospital.

 V.I. Governor Albert Bryan will hold a news conference Friday morning to address the Corona virus, look for a full report on USVI News.