While there are no signs that the dreaded coronavirus will reach St. Maarten, its impact already has. In addition to a troupe cancelling its participation in this year’s Carnival because of difficulty sourcing and accessing related costume materials from China, it turns out the 2020 vehicle number plates are delayed for the same reason (see related story).
Nobody should be surprised either that the presence of cruise ship Costa Favolosa anchored in Great Bay all Wednesday afternoon would raise questions after the much-discussed visit of AIDAperla early this month, when other ports had refused her due to passengers being ill and fear of the potentially fatal virus. At the time they had been quarantined on board and suffered from unrelated symptoms.
In this most recent case Costa Cruises said its vessel came to the island after skipping its latest call in Tortola, but did not explain why. Claims of tenders supposedly loaded with people coming ashore added to the concern.
The Antigua Observer reported that the British Virgin Islands (BVI) had erred on the side caution by refusing the ship on indications that passengers had flown in directly from Italy and boarded in Guadeloupe within the last six days, while the incubation period is two weeks. The virus has struck areas in the European country and measures to prevent its spread had been taken there.
The cruise line noted in its release that since February 22 due to the outbreak in various Italian cities no more customers would be accepted from the quarantined municipalities. That was apparently not enough to reassure BVI officials, but locally a decision was evidently made to facilitate the visit.
Nobody in his or her right mind would want those who took it to be proven wrong. If the country’s competent health and emergency authorities were involved and gave their blessing, the general public will have to trust their judgement.
