All passengers aboard Westerdam cruiser return home: PM Hun Sen hinh anh 1Passengers on board MS Westerdam cruise ship (Source: AFP/VNA)

Phnom Penh (VNA) Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on February 24 that all passengers on board MS Westerdam cruise ship have left Cambodia for their home countries after none of them tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

In his special speech live televised on the National Television of Cambodia, Hun Sen said that some crew have not gone back yet because they asked to spend more time in Cambodia.

No Cambodians have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 so far, he affirmed, adding that the country continues to strengthen thermal scanning at all airports, ports and border checkpoints to prevent the virus from spreading to Cambodia. He also urged people to wear masks if necessary and wash hands frequently.

The MS Westerdam cruise liner, carrying a total of 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members, departed China's Hong Kong on February 1, and had been turned away by several countries and regions due to fears over the virus before being allowed by Cambodia to dock in the port of Sihanoukville.

An American passenger on the cruiser who disembarked in Cambodia later tested positive for the virus in Malaysia on February 15. However, she tested negative after returning to the US./.