CAPE TOWN — Around 1,240 German passengers stranded in Cape Town after their cruise ship was quarantined for almost a week due to a coronavirus scare had either begun their journey home or would do so in the next day, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said on Sunday. The MV AidAmira's more than 1,700 passengers and crew had been unable to leave the ship since March 16, after a crew member on a separate cargo ship who shared a plane with six passengers on the liner showed symptoms of the coronavirus. Port authorities quarantined the Italian-flagged AidAmira while the six passengers were tested for coronavirus. All tested negative for the respiratory illness, which has killed thousands worldwide since first emerging in China. Authorities on Saturday bussed the first batch of 276 passengers directly to Cape Town international airport where they were flown out on special flights chartered by the German government, SAMSA spokesman Tebogo Ramatjie said.

Source: International New York Times March 22, 2020 12:45 UTC