An 88-year-old Maltese man who is still on a cruise ship that is linked to at least one case of novel coronavirus is surprised that he has had to remain aboard the ship while another Maltese couple were allowed to return home.

The man, whose name has not been released, is in “good spirits, although he is getting a bit tired”, the Times of Malta reported. Saying the man did not know that another Maltese couple was on board the ship, his family now hope that Malta’s authorities will take care of him as they did the Maltese couple.

He is one of 233 passengers still on board the MS Westerdam, a luxury cruise liner stuck in Asian seas for over two weeks over fears that it was carrying the new Chinese virus, which has now been confirmed.

Carrying 1,455 guests and 802 crew members, the ship was recently allowed to disembark in Cambodia to widespread media fanfare, with the Cambodian Prime Minister greeting and hugging passengers as they left the ship.

However, the feelgood story turned sour after one passenger, an 83-year-old American woman, was detected to have a fever after she had flown to Malaysia.

She was later confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.

Since the discovery, world health authorities have scrambled to contact the passengers who were allowed off the ship without proper health checks.

The two Maltese adults on the ship have since returned to Malta and are reportedly in good health. They are currently being kept in quarantine in Malta as a precautionary measure.

What do you think of this latest development?