Two Maltese passengers have been quarantined on their return to the country from a cruise ship believed to have been carrying the coronavirus.

The pair are not showing any signs of respiratory disease and are just being quarantined as a precautionary measure by public health authorities.

Anamaria Magri Pantea and Vincent Magri were two passengers aboard the MS Westerdam, a cruise ship that was stranded at sea because ports were worried about passengers bringing coronavirus to its shores.

The Westerdam departed Hong Kong on February 1st for a two-week voyage but was denied entry in five ports over fears that it may be carrying the coronavirus.

“It was a very unsettling experience,” Anamaria told Lovin Malta.

“Being denied entry into planned ports of call, one after the other, then not being accepted for disembarking by a number of ports, is definitely worrying. Even more when the ship ended up escorted by a military frigate. We just didn’t know what to expect next.”

However, last Thursday, the ship finally arrived at an anchoring point in the port city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia.