SIHANOUKVILLE: Cambodian authorities said on Thursday that at least 20 passengers of the Westerdam cruise ship who have been ill will have their blood samples tested at the Pasteur Institute for possible novel coronavirus infection.

Pol Maj Gen Chuon Narin, a Preah Sihanouk provincial police, said that a government working group is aboard the ship to give medical checks to the more than 2,200 passengers and crew before they are allowed to disembark. They will be given visas free of charge.

“Immigration police and health officials are checking the documents and doing medical checkup on them,” the Khmer Times quoted him as saying said.

“We suspect that 20 of the passengers may be infected with coronavirus and their blood samples will be  flown to Phnom Penh to expedite matters,” he said.

The Westerdam, which is owned by Holland America Line, has been turned away from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines due to fears over the spread of Covid-19 disease. It arrived at the Cambodian deep-sea port on Thursday morning.