As many as 146 Indian crew members stranded on board a cruise ship due to the coronavirus pandemic, will disembark in Mumbai on Thursday, over a month after the vessel set off from Thailand, the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Wednesday.
The ship- Marila Discovery- had reached Mumbai coast on April 14. None of them have tested positive for the infection, the CMO said in a statement.
'The ship was to travel to Kochi, New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai between April 2 and 6. When the pandemic started, the cruise let off all the passengers in Thailand on March 14. But when it reached Kochi, permission was not given for the cruise staff and employees to disembark there. The ship reached Mumbai on April 14,' it said.
'The (ship's) company said despite leaving Thailand 37 days ago and although no employee was found coronavirus infected, it was not getting permission for the ship to enter the (Mumbai) harbour,' the statement said.
The Ministry of Shipping allowed the cruise to come to the Mumbai harbour after the matter was pursued by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray with the Centre. The ship reached Mumbai on April 14, it added.
Accordingly, these 146 crew members will disembark in Mumbai on Thursday. They will undergo a medical checkup and a separate building has been readied in case there is a need to quarantine them, the statement said.
"These employees will have to provide the details of their 28-day of travel history, undergo COVID-19 test and get themselves quarantined if there is a need. They will be provided transit pass and vehicles till their home," it said.
The cruise ship will leave for Norway from Mumbai, the CMO said in the statement.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an order to enable the employees of commercial and professional ships to land on Indian harbours and move out.
The central government's decision will help 35,000 to 40,000 Indian sailors and employees of such ships stranded in the seas, it said.
