Because of some cases of corona infection among the passengers, Moroccan authorities have prohibited a German cruise ship from stopping in the port of Tangier.
As the news site Le360 reports, the “Mein Schiff Herz” of the Tui Cruises shipping company should dock in Tangier (Northern Morocco) on Tuesday coming from Lisbon. However, the port administration has forbidden the mostly German tourists on board to go ashore.
Godja Sönnichsen, spokeswoman for Tui Cruises, told BILD that “Mein Schiff Herz” then headed for an alternative port. “The ship sailed to Cádiz in Spain a day ahead of schedule, allowing guests to explore Andalusia over two days. The reactions to this were mostly positive, and the mood among the guests is good.”
The port authority had based its no on a report by the Moroccan health authorities, according to which an “increase” in corona cases among passengers was recorded. The cruise ship can carry up to 1900 passengers and 780 crew members.
In view of the renewed spread of the virus, especially in the big cities, Morocco’s authorities decided on Tuesday to raise the warning level from “light green” to “orange”. The responsible head in the Ministry of Health asked the population to wear masks again as a precautionary measure in closed rooms and in busy places.
After two difficult years due to the pandemic, Morocco’s important tourism industry is currently in high season. The country alone is counting on around three million citizens living in Europe who want to visit their homeland over the summer holidays.