When the severity of coronavirus became apparent, China used a drastic method to forestall its rapid spread: quarantine. Now the same method is being applied to cruise ships, with mixed results.
Two ships are stranded at sea — housing nearly 5,000 crew and passengers. One, with 1,400 passengers, has finally found a home — after being turned away from five international ports. Holland America's Westerdam was refused entry by Japan, Guam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
On Wednesday, Cambodia said it would allow the ship — which does not appear to have any cases of the virus at this time — to dock, the cruise line confirmed in a statement.
The World Health Organization's Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on a Wednesday conference call with journalists said the body, along with the International Maritime Organization, "will issue a communiqué to all countries to respect the principle of 'free pratique' for ships and the principle of proper care for all travelers, in accordance with the International Health Regulations."
He said Cambodia's acceptance "is an example of the international solidarity we have consistently been calling for. Outbreaks can bring out the best and worst in people."
Crisis management experts have raised concerns about the methods of shutting in cruise ship passengers and crew.
"I know it's a very stressful situation for the people that are onboard the ship. They are in a confined environment. They are essentially being isolated from each other," Brian Salerno, SVP of maritime policy for Cruise Lines International Association, told Cheddar Wednesday afternoon. He said the goal is to "minimize contact among people."
The cruise ship experiment also may have been for naught as the virus jumped to shore through a Japanese official, who tested positive for the virus after surveying passengers held in quarantine in the port of Yokohama.
The Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined for a week after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive, has reported 175 infected individuals so far among the 3,600 crew and passengers. That makes the floating city home to the largest concentration of cases of the recently named COVID-19 disease outside of China.
"There have been instances in the last decade or two of global health emergencies and the industry is well-practiced in ramping up its procedures," Salerno said."We've been through this type of procedure before."
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
