The cruise ship Aida Perla which was turned away from docking in St. Lucia Saturday morning due to several passengers having “upper respiratory tract infections” is expected in Dominica tomorrow (Sunday).
The itinerary of the cruise ship confirms that the ship is scheduled in Dominica on Sunday 2nd February 2020 and can be viewed here: https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/AIDAperla-1243
According to St. Lucia News Online, St. Lucian health officials dismissed the notion that the ship was turned away due to suspicion that the sick passengers had novel Coronavirus and dissuaded the propagation of such rumours.
In a statement released Saturday those same authorities said the decision not to allow clearance was due to the unusually high number of sick passengers on-board the Aida Perla.
However, neither the total number of infected nor the cause of the infection is clear at this time.
“This decision was taken out of an abundance of caution for human health and safety,” the statement said.
DNO has since contacted a top tourism official who advised that the authorities are currently in deliberation on the best course of action.
*The ministry of health this morning (Sunday 2nd February 2020) sent a press release indicating that the Aida Perla will not be coming to Dominica.*
You people all live in fear! As for me and my house: A thousand shall fall at my side, ten thousand at my right, and it will NOT come near me or mine. Case close.
That said, if people are sick, allowing the vessel to dock is one thing, allowing the SICK PASSENGERS to get out, is another. Let them stay on the ship. Is there not a doctor on VERY cruise ship???
Keeping them on the ship means all the passengers eventually get infected. They need to disembark and immediately go into quarantine. The ship needs to find a country that has the resources to properly quarantine all those people for 4 weeks.
A number of sick passengers…It should then be named a cruise to the ER not Caribbean…
Or tell them to send out an SOS for the American or Chinese hospital ship to meet them at sea…Problem solve…
That’s malaise on DNO side. You are trying to confuse and get the people scared. Get some real news on the virus. Explain to them that everyone who gets the virus dies. Let the know that the common flu is more dangerous and kills more people. Let them know that tha majority of people who died have previous condition. Please get the facts on the virus and share with the populace. Have daily posting informing the people how to prevent a spread. It’s time u grow as a new agency.
ADMIN: We believe you meant that not everyone who gets the virus dies, and DNO has put out posts such as this one with detailed and helpful facts about the Coronavirus: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/video-guardian-explains-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-corona-virus/.
You talked about growth but the people have to be willing to grow and educate themselves as well especially with widely available tools like google – you can take the horse to the water but can’t make it drink.
Ultimately, the responsibility isn’t DNO’s alone is has to be a shared one between the authorities, the public and all media.
Everyone who get the virus does not die. It has a 10% mortality rate. Much lower than SARS. Keep it grounded people.
Not sure if you realize, but a post was made about half an hour ago saying that the death toll exceeds the SARS outbreak.
There should not be no deliberation, why would want to put people in harms way. they should not let the ship dock because they are not fully equip to take care of the coronavirus .God forbids if thatmight be the case.
Why it have some people who dislike the other’s comment is true we can’t allow this sickness to enter in our beautiful country,and I pray that the pm don’t allow that boat to dock in Dominica ,they want to finish kill Dominica man . That’s a serious thing ,we have to put our health before money
What is there to deliberate? We rather money than our health? That boat should be quarantined, it should not be allowed to dock and we should not be deliberating anything. The tourism and health sector should be disappointed in themselves if they think there is anything to DELIBERATE
Way loftus durand…lets go demonstrate you co.e harrasing me to demonstrate for power now is our health i not hearing u. How u not coming my way this time. Lets go dwmonstrate man
Just lead the demonstration you little dude on the block. You don’t need Luftos Durand. Just get to those DiASPORAs that helped you betray Dominica on December 6, 2019. Oh thou fool is a statement Jesus made to those whose hearts were hardened, eyes were blinded and could not see the truth and ears were blocked that all they could hear was the voice of Satan and his lies
Why should there be a deliberation? Already we don’t have the medical technology to test for this virus ….and our hospital isn’t up to par
What nonsense I hearing there ner…..
Aida should cancel St. Lucia and Dominica for the rest of the season and the seasons to come. Nothing worth seeing on those islands anyway.
And we call ourselves people of God … Mathew 10:8..
As far as I am concerned these comments show me that Psalms 140:3 describes us perfectly here in this land.
Everything skerrit do is ok with me because he knows best. Our dearest supreme leader is our everything.
You got to be kidding me!
Ikr turn to me and be safe. Its safe with labour and corona do not be afraid for i skerro is with you
MARTINIQUE IS THE NEAREST ISLAND
I guess it will spread during carnival since the Martinique people will come for carnival
This my people is a warning to diversify the economy. This is an indication of how fragile the tourism industry can be – it just takes a few passengers infected with a bad cold to disrupt the industry. Tourism is important but so too is agriculture, manufacturing, agro-processing, and other potentially productive sectors. But equal emphasis on other sectors to stimulate real economic growth! Imagine if agriculture, entrepreneurship, arts and craft, and manufacturing were receiving the same Government support as tourism!?
The only personnel in Dominica equipped with proper respiratory masks and fully covered suits to meet and engage with these infected people on this ship, is our Dominica Police Riot Squad. Our nurses and doctors have no such protective equipment. It would be nice to see our hospitals and health centres receive the same type of attention and resources given to the Dominica Police Riot Squad! This alone tells you where our Government and China’s priorities are for our people of the Commonwealth of Dominica. But we are still like turkeys who voted for Christmas!
If the ship is allowed to deck my children will not be going to school not my husband which is a police officer to guide anybody from the port. This isn’t a debate ,this is Our Health and the health of the working class. We pay the official salary and we have this country moving. My health and the health of my family including my neighbor comes first. USD$50 as trade up ? Wow just Wow
The ship owners/operators should themselves consider quarantining that ship until a clean health certificate is obtained.
Don’t allow that ship to dock in Dominica….
The ship is in Martinique btw
The difference is, St. Lucia is a real country with a real government that puts country and people first. Such is not the case with Dominica as the Country’s Prime Minister is on record saying Dominica is not a real country and we don’t have a real government. In fact Al Jazeera just described our senior government ministers bad ” Hungry Hyenas” and they cannot even challenge that claim. These guys are after money and will do anything for money even if people have to be buried. And trust me they not deliberating on anything. The pattern has been established 20 15 years ago, Skerrit decides and his servant ministers must follow orders. In fact if a plane leaves China today with infected Chinese, Skerrit t will graciously accept them as long as the price is right.
A musty man ,unkempt and dishevelled approached a lady of the night in the early hours of the morning. After dealing with him she was asked by another night worker, how could she take on such a man, she replied, “Tings slow tonight, and yah does want de little dollar bill,ya know.”
So St.Lucia did not allow them to duck why is Dominica deliberated go about?dont make sense to me.lets see what the say tomorrow
What is there to deliberate? What is wrong with these “officials”? Why not consider people’s health first and turn the ship away? All we need is just ONE case of that virus on our shores and all he’ll will break loose.
Skerrit don’t play with the people health or you will be take out of office by force . Don’t take that ship
Skerrit I voted for you but if you do that then all Dominican should demonstrate against that . Our heath is priceless. Worth more than $50us
All the peoples working in the tourism sector should stay home
The people in the docks should refuse to work. Dominica does not need this here virus our health system is at zero right now.
The entire Caribbean will be sick
Whats there to think about? Country and peopme first before money..
I pray that the Government officials do not accept the ship to dock in Dominica. We cannot take the risk on our small Island at this time with such a deadly virus
Let’s see if it is dollars before people
Stopping the ship doesn’t make ANY sense if airport and Ferry still running. To deny a cruise entry all while every other form of travel continues uninhibited then that’s just discrimination.
If that boat docks here, St.Lucia and Antigua will in turn close its borders to Dominica. I bet you.
In deliberation ? What’s that mean? What’s there to deliberate?
This is how the meeting should go.
Good Day everyone, welcome to the meeting. Are we letting the boat in? No we not.
Good night, safe drive home.
Do we have the Nurses and Doctors with proper gear to care for them? So much riot gear was brought down for police, any hazmat suits for health personnel?
I hope vendors and taxi drivers stay at their home, and not go to earn a $50 US.
This ship should not be allowed to dock in Dominica!
A number of reasons guide my decision. (1) The report says that an unusual amount of persons on that ship has upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), Yet no number or percentage was given, this tells us that there is more to the story than what has been told. (2) We know that Coronavirus causes a URTI, coincidence? You be the judge!! (3) St Lucia’s Health Care system is more developed than Dominica’s, If they refuse this ship, does that not tell us about their perceived ability to cope? (4) It is also Carnival season in Dominica and we cannot afford to be the Caribbean incubation pot for Coronavirus. (5) Listening to the plans by the health ministry in combatting the disease, It is obvious that they have no clue and (6) We have been warned by the WHO about the potential impact on vulnerable health systems like ours.
But seeing our leaders are hungry hyenas who are easily bought, don’t be surprised if the unthinkable is…
So li ton and dem demonstrate 24-7 now for allu to demonstrate we..come on out
Comments are, ” I hope the Gov’t don’t allow them………….”. If the people are the ones at high risk, the people must tell the gov’t not to allow. plain and simple… Let’s wait and see on Sunday whether the people care so much about their health to allow Gov’t to give the OK for the ship to dock and tourists are let off to visit.
While other OECS and CARICOM countries have closed their borders to non- nationals coming in from China, Skerritt has not followed suite and waiting playing Hoop sayway with that deadly virus.
The costs far exceed the benefits, so…HELL NO! Turn that ship away.
The government is free to make whatever decision it wishes. The people will not allow the ship to dock – as simple as that. I will be down there. You are free to join me. We have to draw the line somewhere!
Correction: not everyone dies.
Are u and your party planning another Salisbury and Marigot? Shame on u.
If you are the real Sam Christian, why everything has to be this fight? A simple discussion outlining why it would be unwise to allow the ship to Dock in Dominica would suffice. You being on the dock and trying to whip up support against having the ship docked in our ports would be too late, the ship would have already been docked and the damage would have already happened.
In this situation, it would have been best if you said nothing. This seems to be the posture of the UWP as reactionaries not forward thinkers, very sad!!!
That is really something to think about?
Please don’t allow the ship to dock in Dominica we can’t take that risk. We a not equipped to handle this Infection. Prime minister please make that decision on behalf of your people they should come first before any one and anything.
I knew it’s gonna happen in Dominica soon and also skerritt already make deal with China about international airport.. the government of Dominica better not accept ship coming in Dominica.. 2020 gonna be a lot stuff happening y’all better pray every single day
I hope the government dont accept this ship
Our hospital can’t even accommodate our citizens that have normal illnesses. Always ready to discharge patients because of lack of space.If there is an outbreak we can’t handle such chaos. I calling in those in authority to take a stand and stop this ship from docking in Dominica. We had Maria we don’t want another one. No entry!!
Now is the time for Those so called Dominicans to demonstrate at the bay front
Let me continue to rant on for my people. Because if our leaders are still contemplating economics vs dcan lives, then they aren’t ready to lead yet. Dcan lives matter. The economy can wait a bit. Dcan lives matter. If you were so concerned with the economy you’d focus on building factories or ensuring that we export more than we import. But dcan lives matter. If you spent less on the new state house and more on job creation, or use the geothermal money for solar and wind power plants then we wouldn’t be in this predicament. Dcan lives matters. Dcan lives matters. Dcan lives matters.
I hope the government dont accept this ship to enter Dominica.
I hope so myself
We do not need advise from SAM CHRISTIAN.The government know what to do.THE SHIP WILL NOT DOCK.