Panaji, Jan 3 (IANS): Out of the nearly 2,000 passengers travelling onboard a Mumbai-Goa luxury cruiseliner, 66 have tested positive for Covid, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday.

The minister also said that four persons across the state have tested positive for Omicron, taking the total count of Omicron cases in the coastal state to five.

"Out of 2000 samples tested from the Cordelia cruise ship, 66 passengers tested positive for #COVID19 Respective collectors & MPT (Mormugao Port Trust) staff have been informed. The government will take appropriate measures to discuss disembarking of passengers," Rane tweeted on Monday.

After arriving in Goa's waters on Sunday, the ship was not allowed to anchor at the Mormugao Port, after one crew member had tested positive for Covid initially.

Official sources said that Covid negative passengers would be allowed to disembark soon, while the rest would be taken to an isolation facility.

"Out of four new Omicron positive persons, one is from within the state with no travel history, indicating indigenous spread to be further examined by experts," Rane said.