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Scientology cruise ship Freewinds quarantined at Caribbean port of St Lucia after measles case

  • 134-metre vessel is normally based in Curacao and is used for religious retreats
  • Ship has asked for 100 doses of measles vaccine, which St Lucia authorities are providing for free

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The Freewinds cruise ship is docked at the port of Castries, the capital of St Lucia on Thursday. Photo: AP

A cruise ship owned by the Church of Scientology has been quarantined in the Caribbean port of St Lucia for the past two days because of a confirmed case of measles, health authorities said on Thursday.

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“Given the highly infectious nature of measles, along with the possibility that other persons on board the vessel may have been in contact with and are now possibly infectious due to this disease, a decision was made not to allow persons to disembark,” said Merlene Fredericks-James, the island’s chief medical officer.

The Freewinds is docked under quarantine from a measles outbreak at a St Lucia port on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
The Freewinds is docked under quarantine from a measles outbreak at a St Lucia port on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

“One infected person can easily infect others,” she said in a public statement.

Fredericks-James said the ship is the Freewinds, which belongs to the Church of Scientology. There are about 300 people on the ship.

The 134-metre (440-foot) vessel is normally based in Curacao and is used for religious retreats.

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