France Allows Some Passengers Off Ambition After Norovirus Outbreak In Bordeaux

France allowed some passengers to leave the norovirus-hit cruise ship Ambition after French authorities said passengers showing no symptoms are allowed to disembark while isolation guidelines continue for those affected.

“results of samples taken confirm an outbreak of norovirus”

BBC

The BBC reported that results of samples taken confirm an outbreak of norovirus in Bordeaux, and it said no serious cases have been reported.

AP News

The BBC also said the statement confirmed that a 92-year-old man had passed away on board on Sunday, while his cause of death is unknown.

DW reported that French authorities held off a British cruise ship with more than 1,700 passengers and crew after an elderly man died onboard and dozens suffered a stomach illness, with authorities ruling out norovirus while secondary tests continued to find the cause.

AP said over 1,700 passengers and crew on the Ambition were ordered to remain on board after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, and it reported that French authorities dismissed any link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on another vessel.

AP quoted a joint statement saying, "There is no reason to establish a link between this outbreak aboard a cruise ship from Belfast and Liverpool and the hantavirus cases detected aboard the MV Hondius," as Étienne Guyot suspended disembarkation and restricted interactions with the port of Bordeaux.

BBC

France 24 said testing confirmed the outbreak on the Ambition was "a gastro-intestinal infection of viral origin," and it reported that asymptomatic individuals were now free to disembark while those infected remained in isolation on board.

France 24 also reported that since Monday, 80 people on the ship had suffered from "symptoms consistent with an acute digestive infection," and it described a passenger, Seos Guilidhe, sending an AFP message saying he was "playing bingo" during the lockdown.

The Guardian said the Ambition was carrying 1,233 passengers and 514 crew when it arrived in Bordeaux on Tuesday, and it reported that about fifty people had shown symptoms of the virus.

“Once clearance is granted, guests will be permitted to disembark”

The Guardian

The Guardian also said a specialist medical team collected existing samples for laboratory testing at Bordeaux University hospital, with results requiring a minimum of six hours to be processed.

The Guardian quoted the operator’s statement that "Once clearance is granted, guests will be permitted to disembark," while it also said all guests and crew had been instructed to remain onboard under the direction of local shore authorities.

Sky News reported that as of 13 May there were 48 active cases of gastrointestinal illness onboard Ambition among guests, and one case among the crew, and it said passengers and crew would only be able to disembark once clearance is granted after the investigation and testing are completed.