Cruise ship heading to N.B. has 2 COVID cases

SAINT JOHN, N.B. • The first cruise ship set to dock in Saint John, N.B., in more than two years is being investigated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to two COVID-19 cases on-board.

According to the CDC'S cruise-ship status dashboard, the Seven Seas Navigator, operated by the Regent Seven Seas and set to arrive in Saint John April 29, is at “orange” level, meaning 0.3 per cent or more of the passengers and/or crew members have COVID-19.

Two positive cases have been identified out of 115 passengers and 374 crew members on the ship, according to Paula Copeland, spokeswoman for Port Saint John.

Those on-board with COVID-19 are isolating, she said, noting “the vessel is still more than a week away from Saint John and has other port calls along its journey, where passengers could disembark or embark.”

Copeland said the CDC investigation doesn't prevent the ship from docking in Saint John and it's still scheduled to arrive on April 29.

The decision of whether a ship can dock or not, Copeland said, is up to the Public Health Agency of Canada's quarantine officer, but Public Health directed the Telegraph-journal's inquiry to Transport Canada.

Sau Sau Liu, a media representative with Transport Canada, said the agency, along with Public Health, the Canada Border Services Agency, other concerned authorities and the vessel operator, “will work together to mitigate public health risks to travellers, workers, communities and the public.”

Those who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated on board and close contacts will be tested, she said.

Cruise ships navigating in Canadian waters are required to have in place COVID-19 management plans outlining cleaning and disinfecting protocols, she said, as well as provide handwashing/sanitizer supplies in common areas, along with N95 masks for passengers and crew members. Group sizes are also supposed to be minimized and physical distancing enforced.

According to the CDC, its COVID investigations include reviewing the number of reported cases and exposed close contacts on the ship, and it “may request additional information” from the ship or cruise line's corporate office.

The CDC can also require mask use by all passengers and crew indoors and in crowded outdoor areas, as well as test all passengers before the end of the voyage and increase the frequency of testing for crew, among other things.

According to Transport Canada rules announced in March, all crew members and passengers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and they're also required to take a molecular COVID-19 test 72 hours before boarding the ship or a rapid test within a day of boarding.

A molecular test will also be required 72 hours before arriving in Canada or an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival.