The international cruise ship, the Queen Mary 2, had to await permission to dock in Durban harbour since her return to South Africa on Friday 27 March, but has now been cleared to enter the Durban port.
Among the over 1,200 crew members on board the ship were six South Africans, according to TimesLive.
In a statement, Transnet said the six South African crew members have been tested for COVID-19 and that their test results had come back negative.
The ship will be allowed to refuel, but current regulations ‘prohibit any disembarkations apart from returning South African citizens or permanent residents, and prohibit embarkations unless they are departing foreign nationals’, the Transnet National Ports Authority said.
Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, is expected to evaluate the disembarkation process, according to East Coast Radio.
#Day5 Luxuxy cruise liner the Queen Mary 2 enters the Durban habour. Aboard are more than 1200 passengers & more than 200 crew. Six South Africans tested negative for #Covid_19. Only them will disembark. #eNCA pic.twitter.com/rLanGGHy25
— Siphamandla Goge (@SiphamandlaGoge) March 31, 2020
WATCH: At the Durban Harbour where the minister of health, Dr Zweli Mkhize will receive six South Africans from a Queen Mary cruise vessel. The vessel will then be allowed to replenish its critical supplies like food, fuel and leave the country’s waters. #COVID19 @IOL pic.twitter.com/KF0ncdwcZP
— Sihle Mavuso (@NewsBotZA) March 31, 2020
He also said that the passengers will stay in quarantine in line with regulations. ‘We thank port manager, captain and crew for their understanding,’ Mkhize tweeted.
Image: Twitter
