Norwegian Joy passengers fall ill; paramedics respond to ship twice in one week

For the second time in a week, paramedics responded after passengers aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles had fallen ill, authorities said.

Nineteen passengers on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy were evaluated for flu-like symptoms, but all declined to be transported to the hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

The cruise ship arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on Sunday morning. It was the same ship that paramedics responded to a week earlier after passengers became ill. Last week, four people from the Norwegian Joy were sent to a hospital for medical treatment, authorities said.

Fire officials said the most recent call came in Sunday at 5:10 a.m. before the boat’s arrival in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn on Sunday called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work closely with county health officials to ensure passengers aboard the Norwegian Joy do not become part of an infectious disease outbreak in the harbor area.

“It raises serious concerns about the hygiene of this ship,” Hahn said in a prepared statement. “If the ship is not cleaned to a point that ensures the health and safety of its passengers, it should not be allowed to leave dock.”

A message left for Norwegian Cruise Line wasn’t immediately returned.