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Egypt says cruise ship quarantined over new virus cluster

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Posted at 8:44 PM, Mar 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-07 20:44:34-05

LUXOR, Egypt (AP/WFTS) — Egyptian authorities say a cruise ship on Egypt's Nile River with over 150 tourists and local crew is in quarantine, and 45 people tested positive for the new coronavirus.

A Taiwanese-American tourist who had previously been on the same ship tested positive when she returned to Taiwan. The Florida Department of Health is urging those who were on that cruise ship to isolate themselves for 14 days after their return date.

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DOH said it was told that persons who were on tours in Egypt, Israel and Jordan between February 4 and 18 may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization informed Egyptian authorities, who tested everyone currently on the ship. They initially found 12 Egyptian crew members have the virus, but show no symptoms.

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Egyptian authorities have been tight-lipped about the virus outbreak, previously reporting only three confirmed cases. That's even as the wider Mideast now has over 5,000 cases, the vast majority in Iran.