Several crew members onboard Royal Caribbean’s new ship have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
The crew members onboard Odyssey of the Seas contracted the virus in Spain as the cruise line is headed to the U.S., however, no passengers were on board, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean confirmed to Fox News Tuesday.
Of the 1,400 crew members on-board the ship, four tested positive for COVID-19 and one crew member had inconclusive test results though they were “immediately quarantined,” USA Today reported. The crew reportedly disembarked at the Port of Palma in Mallorca, Spain.
Several crew members onboard Royal Caribbean’s new ship have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. (Royal Caribbean).
“We are working with local authorities to safely disembark these crew members and oversee any medical care they need,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
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The crew members in quarantine were all reportedly asymptomatic, according to USA Today. All crew members are mandated to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result and adhere to regular COVID-19 testing onboard the ship, and currently, there are no other cases of COVID-19, a spokesperson confirmed.
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The CDC released new guidance last month on how cruise companies could safely resume sailings, allowing voyages to disembark by mid-summer if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are vaccinated. Royal Caribbean submitted its plan for test cruises – mock voyages to help cruise companies test out COVID-19 health and safety protocols so they can resume sailing — to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and could be approved this week, according to its blog. The company did not specify which port or ship was associated with the application, however.
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The CDC last spring issued a “no-sail order” forcing cruise companies to halt sailings due to COVID-19 when there were several outbreaks on cruise ships.
In other cruise news, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean confirmed to Fox News last week it “changed the course” for trips scheduled to leave from Israel as a result of the ongoing unrest in Israel and the region.