MOSCOW, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - A cruise ship that
was quarantined off Venezuela's coast following an outbreak of
the A/H1N1 infection on board left Venezuela on Thursday, the
country's Nacional newspaper said, citing the vessel's owner.
The Spanish-owned Ocean Dream was on a nine-day cruise
across the Caribbean Sea, when the A/H1N1 virus was confirmed
in three crew members on June 14. The vessel had 759 passengers
and 400 crew on board.
Following the report of an outbreak, Venezuelan
authorities ordered the ship to dock for quarantine at the
island of Margarita until June 24.
The vessel's owner, Pullmantur, dismissed the 10-day
quarantine reports, saying that the ship continued its journey
after 342 Venezuelans left the vessel on Thursday morning.
"The vessel, as scheduled, will continue its journey to
Aruba, where the remaining passengers and crew members will
leave the ship in compliance with all precautions established
by Aruba's health authorities," Pullmantur said in a statement
quoted by the local media.
According to media reports, two Russian passengers are
onboard the ship.
Venezuela's health ministry reported that some 60 cases of
swine flu have so far been registered in the country. As of
June 17, a total of 39,620 cases have been registered
worldwide, with 167 deaths, according to the World Health
Organization.
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