MSC Cruises pauses embarkation of Kenyan crew through October 31
The cruise line described the temporary measure as a precaution and said itineraries and onboard services remained unchanged.
MSC Cruises said it temporarily suspended the embarkation of crew members from Kenya through October 31 following recent public-health developments in the country. The company described the step as precautionary and said it would continue monitoring and assessing the situation.
According to the report, the decision followed Kenya’s first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola. The case involved an unidentified Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for several years and traveled to Nairobi while ill. Kenya’s Ministry of Health said he was isolated at The Nairobi Hospital and died on Monday, October 5.
No additional Bundibugyo Ebola cases had been reported in Kenya at that time. MSC Cruises had not altered its itineraries or onboard services in response, although the report said staffing shortages could occur while the suspension remained in effect. No other cruise lines had announced changes to staffing or operations.
