Vasco: All arrangements have been made by Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in coordination with the state government to welcome Celebrity Infinity cruise liner which will arrive at the international cruise terminal of MPT at Mormugao Harbour on Thursday carrying around 1,450 Goan seafarers who were stranded in various parts of the world.

As per information from traffic manager in-charge of MPT Jerome Clemente, the vessel will arrive at the international cruise terminal at around 8 am with 1,450 seafarers who were stranded in various parts of the world.

“This will be the first-of-its-kind cruise liner coming to Goa from abroad with large number of stranded Goan seafarers. The vessel has already arrived at Mumbai Port and has sailed towards Goa on Wednesday evening,” said Clemente.

“MPT has already put in place all necessary arrangements for the collection of throat swabs and testing at the port. The seafarers will be asked to board the vessel after collection of their swab collections and they will be not allowed to land thereafter till their results are out,” said Clemente.

“After the results of swab tests are out, the seafarers will be referred as per the SOP protocol for their quarantine facilities,” added Clemente.

Speaking over the MPT Hospital issue, he said that MPT Hospital has already been taken over as COVID care centre as per the order issued by the district collector South on June 13.

“The Port employees and the pensioners who avail medical treatments will have to visit the newly-opened OPD at Dr Ambedkar Vocational Centre based at Headland-Sada. Critical patients will be referred to the hospitals for further necessary treatments,” added Clemente.