The French health authorities announced yesterday 7 crew members on board the cruise ship Celebrity Apex tested positive for COVID-19. About 78 crew members are considered contact cases and they are isolated in their cabins. The health condition of the crew members does not require hospitalization at this moment.

Celebrity Apex was set for delivery by the French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire last Friday, but the plans were postponed due to the global pandemic. There are currently 1,407 crew members from 60 different nationalities who boarded Celebrity Apex three weeks ago.

The local authorities sent the following press release: "Since these tests, the entire crew, as well as those infected (7 confirmed cases and 7 other probable cases since), presenting with symptoms or who have been identified as contact cases (78) are currently confined to their cabins onboard Celebrity Edge. In addition, general disinfection of the vessel is underway. The cabin ventilation system has been modified to supply only air coming from outside"

The mayor of Saint-Nazaire announced strict confinement order of the ship saying: “I requested that all the measures necessary to support the sick and all the necessary precautions to be taken to protect the local people, in particular thanks to the rigorous and coordinated management between the Captain and the French authorities.”

A crew confinement order was issued by the French authorities and the crew is forbidden to leave the ship without medical authorization. The crew will be evacuated in the following period so they can return home. However this could take some time considering the number of countries Celebrity Apex crew comes from, as well as the travel restrictions and flight cancelations.