Cruise ship turned away in other ports anchors off Cambodia

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) — A cruise ship turned away by other Asian and Pacific governments due to virus fears anchored Thursday off Cambodia, which is checking the health of its 2,200 passengers and crew.

The Westerdam was unwelcome elsewhere even though operator Holland America Line said no cases of the COVID-19 viral illness have been confirmed among the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members on board.

The ship is anchored a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the main Sihanoukville port in the Gulf of Thailand and a team of health officials will conduct checks and determine the disembarkation process, Preah Sihanouk province Gov. Kouch Chamrouen told The Associated Press.

After half a day offshore, however, there was some disappointing news for the passengers. The initial plans for the ship to dock and some 500 passengers to disembark Thursday were postponed, said Kouch Chamrouen, because flights to immediately take them to the capital Phnom Penh for onward journeys home could not be arranged in time.

The governor said the new plan is for the ship to dock at 5 a.m. Friday and for passengers then to be transported to Phnom Penh on two morning flights and one in the afternoon.

About 30 buses had been waiting at the port to take passengers to Sihanoukville airport.

Some 20 passengers have reported stomachaches or fever, Cambodian health officials said. The ship's health staff considered them to be normal illnesses, but the ill passengers were being isolated from others, Health Ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said.

A military helicopter is being used to carry samples from passengers to the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh for analysis.

She said if tests show any passengers have the disease, they'll be allowed to get treatment in the country.

Kuoch Chamrouen said that once...