The number of Covid-19 infected is increasing
The number of Covid-19 infected is increasing
Latest: One of the crew members was diagnosed with Covid-19 out at sea between Miami and New York. December 25 seven more were infected, December 26 the number has increased to ten
December 29
Good news from the ship! No new infected for several days and the first infected are now gradually starting to recover.
- We will continue to test regularly in the days ahead, but it looks good, says Haakon Vatle from the Staatsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.
The mood is good on board, both among the healthy and the sick. Traditional Christmas food for everyone, complemented by real American pizza delivered on board.
The ship will be moved from New York Harbor to Newport on January 4th. The healthy crew members prepare the ship for the cadets from the Naval Academy, embarking on January 6.
December 26
December 26, the number of covid-infected on board has increased to ten.
- Two more had positive rapid tests, says director Haakon Vatle of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.
All has mild symptoms, and the mood on board is good, according to Captain Marcus Seidl.
- On Tuesday, the ship will have a new test device on board, and then hopefully the first ones can be tested out of insulation, Vatle says.
All those infected are currently on board the ship, which is divided into a part for the healthy and a part for the isolated.
December 25
Latest: All the results were negative when all on board were tested after one of the crew members brought Covid infection on board Miami. On the first day of Christmas, it turns out that the tests have not been completely reliable.
- Eight of the crew members are now infected, says director Haakon Steinar Vatle of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation to the newspaper Bergens Tidende.
The ship is now divided up, with the infected in isolation at the front of the ship.
Some guided tours on board have been canceled, otherwise the ship has no official assignments before departure from New York on 4 January.
– In that sense, we have been lucky when the infection first broke out, Vatle told Bergens Tidende.
Before departure, those who are ill are moved to quarantine hotels ashore, and the ship is manned with a new crew.
Covid on board
Statsraad Lehmkuhl dropped anchor outside New York Harbor on Friday December 17, a day before the scheduled arrival. The next morning, one of the crew contacted the doctor with a severe cold. First an antigen Covid-19 test was done, and turned out positive. A PCR test was also positive.
- The patient did everything right and took immediately contact and asked to be tested when the symptoms appeared. Depending on the circumstances, the condition is good, says ship doctor Roald Havre.
There are a total of 94 people on board. All were tested, all were negative.
- We have good routines for testing on board and have practiced this along the way. All the test were completed in a short time, says Havre.
Collaborates with the authorities
Together with the authorities in New York, Captain Jens Joachim Hiorth and director of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Haakon Vatle laid out a plan for how the situation should be handled.
Vatle is very happy.
- If everything goes according to plan, we moor at Brooklyn Bridge Marina today Sunday at 15.30 Norwegian time, says Vatle
- The infected person will be kept in solitary confinement until the person has recovered. The ship and other crew receive no further restrictions as we moore, this applies to both those who muster off and muster on. The program on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl will continue as normal from Monday 20 December, Vatle continues.
Update: The ship moored as planned, and Captain Jens Joachim Hiorth is satisfied and relieved:
In Miami
From Cuba to New York, there have been 64 researchers and others from the Institute of Marine Research and the Nansen Center on board, in addition to the crew. They disembark in New York, to travel home to Norway.
The person who tested positive mustered on in Miami.
- We have strict covid procedures, and these were followed, says Vatle.
The infected person was tested before the flight to Miami, at the gangway before being allowed to board, and again after three days at sea.
- All the tests were negative, says Vatle.
Christmas and New Year
Statsraad Lehmkuhl is scheduled to stay in New York until January 4. Then the course is set first towards Newport in the USA, and then across the Atlantic to Horta in the Azores.
On these legs, cadets and officers from the Norwegian Naval Academy will be on board.