20 cargo ship crewmembers have Covid-19

Twenty of the 36 crew members of M/V San Rafael Dos, a cargo vessel owned by transportation and logistics provider 2GO, tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The test was confirmed over the weekend, but it was only on Monday afternoon that the entire crew was removed from the ship by the Iloilo City Emergency Responders and were taken to isolation facilities.

The 20 infected crew members were taken to the Jaro 1 Elementary School while the 16 were transferred to a hotel quarantine facility.

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has suspended the ship’s operation and remains moored at the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.

A PNA report cited Regional Task Force (RTF) on Covid-19 spokesperson Cindy Ferrer as saying that the vessel came from Davao and passed through General Santos and Bacolod cities.

“While in Bacolod, they already have seven symptomatic crew members who tested positive. Another 12 tested positive after an antigen test,” Ferrer said.

Crew members who were negative in the antigen test underwent confirmatory testing by the Iloilo City molecular laboratory where another crew yielded positive results.

The ship’s management then submitted a Business Continuity Plan in a virtual meeting since the ship has perishable goods that might affect the supply in Mindanao.

The Bureau of Quarantine approved the ship’s plan to deploy new staff to be provided by its crewing agency, the PNA report said.

The vessel will also undergo disinfection protocols before the crew replacement.

The MARINA will issue an order lifting the suspension before the vessel can proceed to its next destination.