LISBON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese authorities said on Sunday that all the passengers who arrived in Lisbon aboard a cruise ship will have to undergo screening tests for the COVID-19, Lusa News Agency reported.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), the cruise ship MSC Fantasia from Brazil arrived in Lisbon early on Sunday with 1,338 passengers, of which 27 are Portuguese citizens.
Cristina Gatoes, national director of Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) under the MAI, promised that all the passengers will be tested according to the instructions of the Directorate-General of Health (DGS).
"All citizens who are aboard this ship will have to undergo screening tests in order to be able to disembark and this is done by the Directorate-General of Health ..."she added.
The Portuguese side announced early on Sunday that the authorities have initiated a repatriation operation for the passengers of the cruise ship.
The MAI said in the statement that the passengers are from 38 countries, mostly European Union members, Brazil as well as Australia, adding that the operation will be carried out "with several embassies" in the next few days, Lusa reported.
The joint operation intends to "comply with current regulations in order to ensure public health" under the state of emergency, it added.
Portugal has 14 deaths associated with the COVID-19 and 1,600 confirmed cases, according to the DGS Sunday bulletin.
