A CNN had access to a document sent by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to the MSC cruise company, on Saturday (1), to prevent passengers from boarding, this Sunday (2), at the Port of Santos (SP), which he could have avoided the scene of hundreds of people waiting for the ship, which was forbidden to travel.
The Anvisa alert was sent at 6:37 pm on Saturday and determined, with immediate effect, that passengers were notified of the suspension of boarding this Sunday. However, several people went to the port with luggage in the expectation of boarding and suffered inconvenience. Upon learning, at the location, that they could not travel, passengers protested in chorus against Anvisa. Agency sources heard by the CNN they blamed the company for not having warned customers, before the departure lounge was full, that the trip would not take place.
More than 3,000 passengers ended up unable to board because the sanitary conditions on board were considered to be at risk by health authorities, after a group of passengers already boarded were diagnosed with the coronavirus. As of Saturday night’s notification, of the 519 passengers tested, 81 had tested positive for covid-19.
Anvisa’s notification to MSC states that the company had an “obligation not to carry out new passenger boardings with the MSC Splendida vessel until the epidemiological investigation with state and municipal surveillance is completed”. The document makes explicit the need to “notify passengers of the suspension of boarding on 01/02/2022”.
Other side
In a statement, however, MSC classified the situation as “unexpected”. Unlike the official document from Anvisa, the company stated that it received the information from the authorities in the late afternoon of this Sunday, the date of the trip, and not the day before. Also called “limited” the number of cases of covid diagnosed so far among those shipped. The company also reaffirms that it is following the protocols.
A CNN he contacted MSC and informed that he had ANVISA’s notification forwarded on Saturday. The company, however, reiterated that it was taken by surprise and denied having failed to pass the information on to passengers beforehand.
Reference: CNN Brasil
