SARS threat keeps four from boarding cruise ship
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
Norwegian Cruise Line did not allow four visitors from Hong Kong to board its ship in Honolulu on Sunday because of precautions the company is taking regarding SARS, a company official said yesterday.
None of the four showed symptoms of the respiratory illness from Asia, but the cruise line has a policy that passengers coming from places where severe acute respiratory syndrome is most prevalent — China; Singapore; and Hanoi, Vietnam — must be symptom-free for at least 10 days after leaving those areas, said Captain Kaare Bakke, Norwegian vice president of port operations in Honolulu.
The four, believed to be members of a Hong Kong family, lacked proof that they had been so "quarantined," Bakke said.
"They were disappointed but very professional," Bakke said. "They understood our concern."
Norwegian's policy is much stricter than recommended policies for airline travel. Air travelers from SARS-prevalent areas are questioned before takeoff if they are feeling ill, and are advised to postpone travel voluntarily if they do, under World Health Organization guidelines.
State Health Department officials have maintained that quarantine of people who have no symptoms is not warranted. Dr. Paul Effler, state epidemiologist, said that exclusion from work, school, childcare or other public areas is not recommended for people who are not ill.
There have been no confirmed cases of SARS in Hawai'i and five women who have been classified as suspected cases have fully recovered.
The 10-day period is the time it takes for SARS symptoms, such as a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or a dry cough, to show.
Effler, who was not available yesterday to comment on the cruise ship exclusion, earlier said that people who have traveled from SARS-prevalent areas do not pose a health threat to others and do not need to be isolated unless they become ill.
The International Council of Cruise Lines, on its Web site, said its guidelines include "screening of both passengers and crew who are arriving within 10 days from CDC identified SARS travel alert areas" and "as appropriate, deny boarding to any passenger that meets certain risk factors for SARS." It did not specify what those risk factors are.
Bakke of Norwegian could not say when the company's policy was enacted, but said all of the ships have been informed. Officials from the company's Miami headquarters were not available to comment yesterday afternoon.
"We are taking this very seriously," Bakke said. "Hopefully, we can avoid spreading SARS to other areas." Bakke said he believes the four passengers yesterday were the first to be affected by the policy in Hawai'i.
Bakke acknowledged that the policy could come as a surprise to some travelers. "It's very difficult because sometimes you may have people just buying a ticket and then just come."
Bakke said Norwegian's parent company includes Star Cruises, which operates in Hong Kong and Asia. Star Cruises had a scare on one of its vessels this week when a crew member was suspected of having SARS but ended up diagnosed with bronchitis.
The company's Web site at ncl.com did not mention the new quarantine policy yesterday.
Bakke described it as "a precautionary measure we take." He said it was not a racially based decision. "That's a medical concern. We deal with the whole world," Bakke said. "Our mother company has been dealing with it."
The Singapore government has begun strict control measures, including a 14-day quarantine for anyone in contact with a probable SARS patient. Travelers arriving by land, sea or air are being checked for symptoms of the disease.
In China, Premier Wen Jiabao called for airline and train passengers to be screened and quarantined if necessary, among the toughest measures suggested so far as China battles the disease which has killed 64 in the country and sickened more than 1,300.
Advertiser news services contributed to this report.
