The Celebrity Apex in Saint-Nazaire – S. Salom Gomis / AFP
- Last Thursday, seven people, who are on board a cruise ship docked in Saint-Nazaire, were tested positive for Covid-19.
- Since then, the American company Royal Carribean has been trying to organize life on board and the repatriation of its employees.
- This weekend, 3,000 tests were delivered and first departures were orchestrated.
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For several days, a crisis unit has been meeting daily by audio conference. It must be said that the situation turns to a puzzle to Saint Nazaire : As of Thursday, some 1,500 crewmembers have been confined to the Celebrity Apex cruise ship, which has just been delivered and remained docked due to the health crisis.
Seven cases positive for coronavirus diagnosed on board, the figure
rose to 29 the next day. Since then, the authorities have no longer communicated on the number of patients, but the situation has become more complicated. 20 minutes make the point.
What is the situation there?
Since the discovery of the cases, all personnel have been strictly confined to the boat, which has been fully disinfected. And inside, the crew was divided into four categories: people who show symptoms, contact cases, people who have encountered these contact cases, and the rest, details the sub-prefect of Saint-Nazaire Michel Bergue. Authorities declined to comment on the health status of those infected on Monday. However, we know that some of them have since had to be transported to the Saint-Nazaire hospital.
What will happen in the next few days?
At the end of last week, the luxury liner built at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards was officially delivered to its American shipowner Celebrity Cruises, of the Royal Carribean group. The company immediately took over by delivering 3,000 tests and protective equipment, Sunday night. The company doctor, already on board, will carry them out, with the help of four other doctors and three nurses expected by the end of the week. The results of the tests, which will be carried out twice for each staff, should be known in the coming days, said the sub-prefect.
How is the repatriation of the crew members organized?
About sixty nationalities are represented among the employees, which makes the situation very delicate, according to the sub-prefect Michel Bergue: “About half comes from countries that are currently closed”. For the others, it was decided that “anyone who can return to his home, if his state of health is compatible with traveling and that he respect the precautions to take ”is free to leave the ship if she wishes, without even having practiced testing, specifies the sub-prefect. In fact, 18 people, mostly subcontractors, have already returned home “by road or by plane”. Other departures are scheduled for Tuesday, a delicate operation “at the expense of the company”.
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