A total of seven people on board the cruise liner, SeaDream 1, have tested positive for COVID-19 and are being transferred to the isolation facility at Harrison Point, St. Lucy.
The cruise liner sailed out of Barbados last Saturday with 53 passengers and 66 crew on a seven-day cruise.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George revealed today that the ship returned to Barbados on Wednesday night after the ship’s captain reported to Barbadian authorities that a passenger had fallen ill and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a PCR rapid test.
The captain further advised that the passenger was in need of medical attention and that his wife, who was asymptomatic, also tested positive.
Dr. George said the sick passenger was transported to the isolation facility at Harrison Point, St. Lucy when the ship docked at the Bridgetown Port.
The CMO said that local health authorities boarded the ship and tested 34 individuals that evening. Another 49 people were tested on Thursday. A total of seven persons were positive for the viral illness.
A decision has been taken, he disclosed, that all positive cases will be transferred to Harrison Point for assessment and further treatment.
The Chief Medical Officer explained that these cases will not be included in Barbados’ count of COVID-19 cases since Barbados regarded this as a humanitarian mission.
The cruise liner was carrying passengers from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom.