Five passengers of SeaDream test positive for COVID-19
SeaDream cruise ship to dock back in Barbados
Five passengers of the SeaDream cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19.
In a Friday report of The Guardian, the SeaDream, which is carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew, is one of the first cruise ships to resume operations and cruise through the Caribbean waters since the pandemic was declared in March.
The ship ended its trip early after learning about the cases of coronavirus. Majority of passengers are from the US, according to Sue Bryant, a cruise ship reporter who is aboard the ship.
The US holds the highest record of coronavirus cases with 10,266,631, and 240,044 deaths, according to the latest data of the World Health Organisation.
Bryant told the Associated Press that after departing from Barbados last Saturday, “one passenger became sick on Wednesday and forced the ship to turn back” to the Caribbean island.
The ship had yet to dock in Barbados as local authorities tested those on board. It was originally scheduled to return to Barbados on Saturday, and the ship had made several stops in St Vincent and the Grenadines before turning back.
The Norway-based parent company SeaDream Yacht Club have not released a confirmed number of infected when the initial round of testing was conducted.
Bryant said passengers were required to have a negative PCR test to enter Barbados and underwent another test on the dock administered by the ship’s doctor.
“We all felt very safe,” she said, adding that the ship had been implementing strict hygiene protocols. “Yet somehow, (COVID-19) appears to have got on board.”
As per The Guardian, “SeaDream said the ship’s medical staff has tested all crew members and that all tested negative.” The guests were all re-tested to be sure, noting they are all under quarantine along with non-essential crew members.
“We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way,” SeaDream said.
Government officials in Barbados did not return messages for comment.
In mid-March, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspending cruise ship operations at US ports. The no-sail order expired on 31 October.
SeaDream was also among the first cruise lines to resume service in Europe. There was also an asymptomatic case recorded in the trip,woth the said passenger disembarking from SeaDream I in Denmark. All other passengers and crew tested negative, the company said.