Hurtigruten passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19
At least 36 crew members and passengers on board MS Roald Amundsen have tested positive for COVID-19.
Hurtigruten has released a statement confirming all 158 crew members have now been tested from the ship’s 17 and 24 July departures.
This comes as the cruise line claimed to be the first ocean cruise line to return to sailing when the MS Finnmarken left Bergen, Norway, to sail the Original Coastal Voyage (Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen) last month.
So far, 32 crew members and at least four passengers on board MS Roald Amundsen have tested positive with COVID-19. None of the crew members showed symptoms of the virus but four of them had been forced to isolate because of “other disease symptoms” and were routinely tested before being transferred to hospital.
“We are now focusing all available efforts in taking care of our guests and colleagues,” Hurtigruten’s vice president of global communications, Rune Thomas Ege, said.
“We work closely with the Norwegian national and local health authorities for follow-up, information, further testing, and infection tracking.”
The cruise line said it is in contact with all guests that were on board MS Roald Amundsen’s 17 and 24 July departures.
209 guests from the first voyage and 178 guests from the July 24 departure have been asked to self-quarantine in line with Norwegian health authority regulations.
“All crew members are closely monitored and screened daily. Non-Norwegian crew members are quarantined before boarding the ship, and non-European crew need to undergo two negative Covid-19 tests before even leaving their home country,” Ege said.
MS Roald Amundsen was scheduled to sail to Svalbard on Friday afternoon, but was forced to cancel. The next cruise with the ship is not planned until September.
Hurtigruten recently shared images and insights into social distancing measures on its ships. You can read about that HERE.
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