Ten new joiners, members of the crew of AIDA Cruises who were scheduled to board AIDAmar and AIDAblu in Rostock tested positive for Covid-19, reports the German TV and radio station NDR. In a press conference, the news was announced by the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LAGuS) on Friday.
All 750 crew members who arrived during this week from Indonesia and the Philippines tested negative in their home countries before the flight to Germany. Following the safety protocols the new joiners were tested once again, and the test result detected 10 positive crew for the Covid-19 virus.
Nine of the crew who tested positive are asymptomatic and one has mild symptoms of the virus. According to the safety protocols they were placed in isolation on board one of the cruise ships. It was not mentioned on which vessel the positive employees were isolated, on AIDAmar or AIDAblu which are currently located in the Rostock. The crew will be tested once again on Sunday.
Cruise Law News received the following statement from AIDA Cruises:
“As part of the occupational-medical health examination of the crewmembers having arrived on July 22, 2020, 10 positive cases were detected, none of which are related to the regular on-board operations.
The entire arriving crew was tested in their home countries before their departure to Germany. Another PCR test was carried out directly prior to the boarding. Afterwards, all newly embarked crewmembers went into single isolation on board.
It shows that the strict hygiene protocols AIDA Cruises has developed with the authorities are effective and that the company has taken the right preventive measures. AIDA Cruises will continue closely coordinating all steps with the responsible authorities in Rostock and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and keeps implementing all increased preventive and control measures to protect against COVID-19.
All affected crewmembers are currently in strict isolation and have been quarantined. In order to verify the results, a second PCR test was carried out immediately. It has now confirmed the initial results. As a precaution, all other crewmembers having recently arrived are also being tested again for COVID-19 and remain in isolation.
The cruise ships AIDAmar and AIDAblu are not under quarantine. As a precaution, however, the crew will not be able to go ashore.
The preparations for the first upcoming cruises are continuing as planned. For the phased-in return to operation AIDA Cruises has developed a comprehensive set of health and hygiene protocols to help facilitate safe and healthy cruise vacation.”
According to information from the source, the test voyages, without passengers on board, who were scheduled for today are now postponed. Aida Cruises announced the plan to restart operations on some of its ships at the beginning of August with short cruises to the Baltic Sea.
Aida Cruises announced it will resume cruises on AIDAperla departing from Hamburg on August 5, 2020, AIDAmar and AIDAblu should start a week later from Warnemünde and Kiel.
