Virus outbreak hits cruise ship in Hong Kong

Passengers of the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth that berthed in Hong Kong on Tuesday are recovering from an outbreak of norovirus, health officials said.

A total of 150 passengers and crew fell victim to the virus that hit the ship earlier this month and five still remain sick on board. Another 27 people are being kept in isolation as a precautionary measure.


The victims who fell ill were aged between 17 and 95.

According to the Department of Health, they are in stable condition and do not require hospital care. Others who fell ill have mostly recovered.

The Chief Port Health Officer, Raymond Ho, said he believes the peak of the outbreak has passed, because the number of passengers on the sick list has been declining constantly over the past few weeks.

Ho said hygiene conditions on board the ship are satisfactory.