Woman goes viral after being kicked off cruise ship for positive COVID test she says false

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) – A woman in the Bronx has gone viral for the video she took as she was started from a cruise on a positive COVID-19 test.

Laura Angelo says it was all a mistake, but cruise lines have strict measures in place to protect passengers.

“I feel very dizzy,” she said on the video. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”

When she tested positive aboard the Royal Caribbean ship, she lost it.

“I know I don’t have COVID,” she said. “You are lying (expletive).”

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She streamed it to millions of people, live, online, and on Thursday she even wore a t-shirt mocking her tirade.

Angelo sailed the Freedom of the Seas on July 5 to celebrate his friend’s birthday.

“They said as long as you have a negative (test) 72 hours before,” she said. “I have three negative points before the cruise.”

But she and her friend are not vaccinated.

“We give our passports, give negative COVID tests,” she said. “I said, ‘Is this for unvaccinated people? “The guy said yes.”

However, the purple bracelets given to them were intended for vaccinated passengers. She said the company realized the mistake two days later.

“Once this was recognized, we immediately informed the guests and tested them on board,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “This test produced a positive result for COVID-19, which immediately activated our health and safety protocols. “

This included taking another COVID test.

“They said it was positive,” Angelo said. “I laughed. My tests cannot be positive. There is no way in the world.”

They were escorted off the ship by staff in HazMat suits, with their luggage shrink-wrapped.

She was taken home to the Bronx, where she said she had three more COVID tests. All came back negative.

Angelo said she already had COVID in March.

“If someone has recently recovered from COVID, there is still a chance their tests will remain positive,” said Dr Darien Sutton, ABC News medical collaborator. “But that doesn’t mean they’re always contagious.”

READ ALSO | Surgeon General warns of misinformation as “urgent threat” to public health

COVID is spreading in New York City, with an increase in the positivity rate. The average, below 1% on Monday, jumped to 1.43% on Thursday.

One big reason is the delta variant.

“It’s really worrying,” said Dr Sutton. “We have to be careful how he grows. You will see these little increases and then you will see a big change.”

As the vaccination race continues, nearly 12,000 more people have been vaccinated in the past 24 hours.

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