Authorities in Taiwan are on high alert after a passenger on the Westerdam cruise ship was found to have the COVID-19 virus. The ship was supposed to make several stops throughout Asia during its 14 days at sea. But it was rejected from port after port due to coronavirus fears. It only stopped in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung on February 4, before allowing passengers to disembark in Cambodia last Thursday.
It was originally thought that all of the passengers were free of the virus. But an American tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, after disembarking. Now health authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to track down bus and taxi drivers that may have come in contact with the ship’s passengers when it stopped in Kaohsiung.
A bus driver uses rubbing alcohol to wipe his vehicle down from top to bottom. From the seats to the handles, and even the doors -- he’s not taking any chances. On February 4, the Westerdam cruise ship docked in Kaohsiung Harbor. It was later revealed that a Westerdam passenger contracted COVID-19, the novel coronavirus at the heart of an outbreak originating in China.
Kaohsiung City officials have so far identified ten bus drivers and 44 taxi-drivers that have come in contact with Westerdam passengers, and they are still searching for more.
Even with the government taking thorough measures to contain the coronavirus, taxi-drivers themselves aren’t taking any chances. One driver says that the outbreak has resulted in a 30% decrease in business. After every fare, the driver wipes his car down and airs out the interior. When it comes to COVID-19, it’s better to be safe than sorry.