Hong Kong authorities revealed a COVID-19 outbreak onboard the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) container ship MSC Flavia, stating that the situation is complex, as it included crew change that took place in Hong Kong.
It is reported that the cases were identified when the MSC Flavia arrived in Ningbo, China on June 26. Eleven of the 24 crew members aboard the vessel tested positive for the virus with two of them later reported having a fever.
Also, nine of the 11 crew members had embarked the MSC Flavia in Hong Kong.
Following the test results, the authorities began tracing efforts and revealed that six of the crew members arrived in Hong Kong from Indonesia, while two came from Greece, and one from Croatia. They all arrived in Hong Kong between June 21 and 23 and are believed to have stayed in a local hotel before boarding the ship.
The 12,400 TEU container vessel departed Hong Kong on June 24. Two days later, the vessel was planned to dock in Ningbo, local health officials identified the positive cases.
It is stated that all seafarers were asymptomatic when they boarded the ship and seven of them remained without visible symptoms. All of the crew members aboard the ship are being tested because it is believed that they were in close contact with the infected individuals.
To remind, in early June, the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association (HKSOA) began efforts to lobby the government to allow crew changes in one of the world’s largest hub ports have been successful.