COVID-19: 36 crew members test positive on Norwegian cruise ship

As the world is battling with the deadly pandemic, a new setback has emerged. At least 36 crew members on a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19, officials reported. According to the cruise line, other passengers who had been on the ship for its July 17 and July 24 departures have been contacted.

Reportedly, on July 31, four of the MS Roald Amundsen’s crew members had tested positive for the virus and have since been hospitalised. Reportedly, the infected crew members were all Filipino apart from three people from France, Norway and Germany. The ship arrived on July 31 at the port of Tromsø north of Svalbard, where the remaining members were quarantined on board.

As per reports, the ship, that can accommodate nearly 530 passengers, has no passengers on the vessel and is currently docked in Tromsø, Norway. From the 158 crew members on board, 36 are currently infected. This development prompts fears of an upturn of cases in Norway. Earlier, the ship’s company Hurtigruten had stated a total of 33 positive COVID-19 cases.

According to the cruise operator, the rest of the members have tested negative. Hurtigruten stated on July 31 that four crew members "were isolated several days ago because of other disease symptoms, with no symptoms of COVID-19. There was no reason to suspect COVID-19 when the ship docked in Tromso based on the symptoms they were showing.”

Nearly 180 passengers, who departed on July 25, debarked on July 31, while more than 200 guests were on ship between 17-24 July. These guests will have to self-quarantine “in line with Norwegian health authority regulations,” the company stated. As of July 31, Norway had a total of 9,208 confirmed cases of COVID-19.  One person died due to the virus on the night of July 31, taking the country’s death toll to 256. This was the first death due to coronavirus in the country in two weeks.

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COVID-19's impact on cruise ship industry

The cruise ship industry has been hugely affected by the ongoing pandemic, suffering losses as several liners were converted into quarantine facilities in April and May for suspected and confirmed coronavirus cases. In March, Hurtigruten declared that it had suspended mostly all of its activities because of the ongoing pandemic.

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Ships have shown to be petri dishes for illnesses, and coronavirus has spread rapidly on ocean liners. In February, Diamond Princess was found to carry more than 700 people infected with the virus.  Apart from Hurtigruten and Diamond Princess, ten crew members on AIDA Cruises' AIDAblu and AIDAmar had tested positive for COVID-19 after boarding in Rostok, Germany, on July 22. 

(With inputs from agency) (Image credit: AP/Representative image)