MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) says the decision to deny the cruise ship Emerald Princess entry to a local port was taken after consultation with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH) based on the infection threshold that was instituted for cruise lines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On Thursday, more than 1,300 passengers were left disappointed when the Emerald Princess was denied permission to dock at the Ocho Rios Cruise Terminal due to confirmed novel coronavirus infections onboard.

The ship had departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 29 on a 10-day cruise. After making stops in the Turks & Caicos Islands, Colombia, and Costa Rica, the Emerald Princess was expected to make its final stop in Jamaica’s north coast before heading back to the United States.

Said the PAJ: “One of the safety measures that has been instituted by the CDC and adopted by most countries include the infection threshold, which helps to determine whether a vessel is granted pratique. As such, if ships exceed the passenger/crew threshold count, they may not be granted pratique by the MOH.”

“Recently, the Emerald Princess, which was scheduled to call at Ocho Rios, had exceeded the allowable threshold (one per cent) for infected cruise members and, as such, [the MOH] did not grant clearance for the vessel,” the PAJ added.

In an exclusive interview with the Jamaica Observer, a Jamaican onboard said passengers were informed Wednesday night that the ship would be re-routed.

“We were on our way to Ocho Rios, coming in from Costa Rica, when the captain informed us that Jamaica has denied the ship entry into the port,” said the man, who requested anonymity.

He said that the captain told them that the increase in COVID-19 cases across the island was a factor in the entry denial.

“He said this was due to the large number of COVID-19 cases on the island and they were going to see if we were able to dock at another port, and that he would give us more information at a later time,” said the passenger.

The passenger also told the Observerthat, along with the COVID-19 cases on the island, there were a few cases on the ship.

Meanwhile, the PAJ said, since the resumption of cruise shipping last August, its relationship with the health ministry has been strengthened in an effort to secure Jamaica’s border amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“PAJ has been working very closely with the [MOH] to ensure that the resumption complies with all the requisite health and safety protocols and guidelines,” the authority said.

“In accordance with the MOH protocols, each cruise line that calls at our cruise ports has had to submit an infection prevention control plans, as well as other medical, health, and safety documentations, which are vetted and approved by the MOH before a cruise ship is allowed to berth,” said the PAJ.

As the world now battles with a fourth wave of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants, PAJ said, “there is a renewed sense of urgency with regards to health and safety and a heightened awareness among all stakeholders, thus the situation is fluid”.