Every passenger of Cordelia cruise to undergo Covid-19 test once it reaches Mumbai: BMC official

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Every passenger of the Cordelia cruise ship, which will reach Mumbai on Tuesday evening, will undergo Covid-19 test as it has been sent back to Mumbai from Goa with all the passengers after more than 66 out of 2,000 onboard tested Covid-19 positive.

"The ship is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai today evening and everyone onboard will undergo Covid-19 test," said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official. "BMC has constituted a special team to conduct the test of passengers on board. Those who test positive will be sent to Covid centres or hospitals. Those who test negative will be sent to compulsory quarantine," the official added.

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said that out of the 2,000 samples tested onboard the Cordelia cruise ship that sailed from Mumbai to Goa, 66 passengers tested positive for Covid-19.

In a tweet, Rane said, "Out of 2000 samples tested from Cordelia cruise ship, 66 passengers tested positive for Covid-19. Respective collectors and MPT staff have been informed of the same. The authorities will decide whether to allow disembarking of passengers from the ship."

Cordelia is the same cruise ship that was raided by Narcotics Control Bureau officials last year over an alleged drugs case in which Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan, among others, was named. India reported 37,379 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the daily positivity rate in the country to 3.24 per cent, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

According to Health Ministry, the country has so far reported 1,892 cases of Omicron of which 766 have been recovered. Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of Omicron cases (568), followed by Delhi (382) and Kerala (185).