An Italian cruise line has come under fire after thousands of passengers exposed to a sickness bug were allowed to disembark in a town in Shetland.
Passengers on board Costa Cruises Costa Favolosa ship had reported symptoms of “mild gastrointestinal illness” during a seven-day Northern European voyage from Hamburg before the vessel docked in Lerwick, Shetland, earlier this month.
Both NHS Shetland and the Lerwick Port Authority said they had not been advised of any public health issues before the arrival of the cruise ship on 20 May.
Dr Susan Laidlaw, director of Public Health at NHS Shetland, said that the body only received notification of illness on board Costa Favolosa “through the Port Health route late in the afternoon of Tuesday 20 May”.
“However, we now understand that a small number of passengers with symptoms of gastroenteritis were being appropriately managed by the medical team on-board the vessel,” added Dr Laidlaw.
Lerwick Port Authority added that “vessels calling at the harbour are required to declare any concerns relating to passenger health” but on this occasion, the authority “was not notified of any passenger ill-health on board the cruise ship Costa Favolosa”.
Shore excursions for passengers in Lerwick were quickly cancelled by local operators when guests showed visible symptoms of a stomach bug.
Sonia Robertson, managing director of R. Robertson and Son bus company, said that all island tours were stopped after a guest left a coach to be “violently sick three times”.
“Something like this could have crippled the whole company and affect a lot of our staff and services,” she added, according to The Times.
Almost 3,000 passengers crowded Lerwick’s town centre before businesses were made aware that passengers had been taken ill with gastroenteritis on board.
Celia Smith, owner of coffee shop Blyde Welcome, told The Shetland Times that locals had “absolutely no warning” of the gastroenteritis breakout.
She said: “We could’ve been better prepared, we could’ve had more sanitiser and some businesses had face masks.”
The 290-metre-long Costa Favolosa ship can carry almost 4,000 passengers.
Dr Laidlaw advised hand washing and bleach-based cleaning products to help prevent the spread of gastrointestinal infections.
Cruise operator Costa Cruises insisted that it had been permitted to dock in Lerwick.
The cruise line said in a statement: “During the May 15-22 cruise on Costa Favolosa, some guests reported mild gastrointestinal symptoms to the ship’s medical centre. As a precaution, we immediately implemented enhanced disinfection and sanitation measures.”
According to Lerwick Port Authority: “The Authority has contacted parties involved, and agreed measures which will tighten up procedures ensuring documentation is completed correctly and timeously prior to a port call, to prevent recurrence.”
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
