By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The National Institute of Public Health in Norway is reporting a total of 53 people with confirmed COVID-19 infection on two voyages of the Hurtigruten vessel, MS Roald Amundsen.

Image/CDC

The two voyages around Svalbard with boarding and disembarking in Tromsø occurred on 17-24 July and 24-31 July.

Of the 53 cases, 37 were detected in crew and 16 in passengers. The 16 passengers are from 7 counties: Nordland, Oslo, Rogaland, Troms and Finnmark, Trøndelag, Vestland, and Viken.

The passengers on the two voyages must be quarantined and followed up by the local health service where they live. The quarantine is valid for ten days after leaving the ship.

The quarantine period for the first voyage has now expired. Passengers from the second voyage are registered in different municipalities, but may be traveling or staying in another municipality than they are registered in.

In addition, the cruise ship Seadream I may have COVID-19 infection on board, and the ship is now directed to Bodø.

Both the crew and the passengers are now in quarantine.

Suspicion of covid-19 stems from the previous voyage to Seadream I which started on 21 July with arrival in Tromsø on 2 August 2020. A new voyage is now underway with the ship which started on 2 August. A Danish citizen who participated in the first cruise has been shown a positive covid-19 test after returning to Denmark. The person had no symptoms during the voyage, according to the shipping company.

According to information we have received, the person has no symptoms, and we can not say with certainty in what time period the person has been exposed to infection, says department director Line Vold in FHI.

All passengers from previous and ongoing sailings and the crew now receive information from the shipping company about how to behave. Everyone must complete a 10-day quarantine and be encouraged to test themselves.

Bodø municipality and Nordland Hospital Bodø are now preparing to handle testing of the crew when the boat arrives.