December 09, 2020, 10:59 PM
The 83-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 on board Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas cruise liner on Wednesday, Dec. 9 might have been a false positive.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it will conduct another test on Dec. 10 to confirm the Covid-19 status of the man after he tested negative in two subsequent tests at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL).
MOH said in its Dec. 9 evening update that the man had undergone the polymerase chain reaction test on the cruise after reporting to the medical centre on board the ship with diarrhoea.
The man’s original sample was then retested at the NPHL and it came back negative.
MOH said: “A second fresh sample tested by NPHL has also come back negative.”
“NPHL will conduct another test tomorrow to confirm his Covid-19 status.”
MOH said all of the man’s identified close contacts of the case have been isolated as a precautionary measure.
MOH added that all passengers will undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing before they are allowed to leave the terminal at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, citing routine post-arrival protocols.
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Top photo via Royal Caribbean
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