After ‘cruise to nowhere’ returns early, Singapore says passenger does not have Covid

SINGAPORE — The Singaporean passenger who tested positive for Covid-19 onboard a cruise ship has subsequently tested negative for the disease, according to Singapore’s health ministry.

The passenger, an 83-year-old man, was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas which set sail on Dec. 7 for a round trip to the city-state with no port of call in between. The ship was forced to return on Wednesday, a day earlier than scheduled, after the passenger went through a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on the cruise liner which returned positive for Covid-19.

PCR tests have been used widely to detect cases as they are accurate in their diagnosis, but results take hours to return.

“His original sample has since been re-tested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and has come back negative for (Covid-19) infection. A second fresh sample tested by NPHL has also come back negative,” the Ministry of Health said Wednesday night, adding that another test would be conducted the next day to confirm his Covid-19 status.

On Thursday afternoon, the health ministry said the passenger does not have Covid-19.

“The sample taken from the individual this morning came back negative for the virus. This follows two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests conducted yesterday by NPHL, one on a re-test of his original sample, and the other on a fresh sample taken yesterday, which had also come back negative,” the health ministry said in its daily preliminary update of Covid-19 cases in the city-state.

“We have rescinded the Quarantine Orders of his close contacts, who had earlier been placed on quarantine as a precautionary measure while investigations were ongoing,” the health ministry added in its statement.

The passenger was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases at 2:30 p.m. Singapore time on Wednesday, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.