Barely a month since a Norwegian cruise company became the first to resume operations it has suspended trips. This comes after 41 travelers onboard Hurtigruten cruise ship were infected with COVID-19.
Hurtigruten cruise ship suspended operations due to COVID-19 outbreak
A company spokesperson stated on Monday that 36 crew members and 5 travelers had been infected on the MS Roald Amundsen. The infected people have been taken to University Hospital in Tromsoe where the ship had docked. However, there are concerns from public health officials that more people could be infected during the first two excursions. There are also fears that the passengers who embarked from the ship might have infected dozens of villages and to9wns on the west coast of Norway.
The company’s CEO Daniel SKjeldam stated that according to a preliminary assessment it appears that there is a failure in their internal procedures. He said that their trips are along the picturesque coast of Norway between Kirkenes in the North and Bergen in the south and now the company is reviewing all procedures as well as aspects of handling. The ship acts as a local ferry moving from port to port along the western coast and the virus could not have been contained onboard.
36 crew test positive of COVID-19
Hurtigruten ship was on two weeklong trips from commencing July 17 and 25 with 400 passengers on board during the trips. Several passengers join and depart and this has caused serious alarm about a further spread in Norway where there have been only 250 deaths from COVID-19. So far all the 158 crew members on the ship have been tested with only 36 members testing positive.
The Tromsoe municipality has urged passengers that were on board the ship or had contact with those on the ship to contact local authorities. According to Norwegian news agency NTB, around 69 municipalities are affected. Cruise ships are turning out to be hot spots for the virus with Carnival Cruise Line under congressional probe for dozens of deaths and over 1,500 infections on their ships.
