57 sailors onboard fishing ship in Ushuaia test positive for Covid-19

[Judi Lynn]

ARGENTINA | TODAY 23:17

Argentine fishing boat docks in Ushuaiahuaia after 35 days at sea, after crew begin showing signs of coronavirus. Reports say 57 of the 61 crew-members onboard the 'Echizen Maru' – who all isolated for 14 days before setting sail – have tested positive for coronavirus, puzzling experts.



An Argentine fishing boat that had been at sea for 35 days returned to land when some of its 61 crew showed symptoms of the new coronavirus, Tierra del Fuego Province's Health Ministry reported on Monday.

Reports later that evening from local outlets said that 57 of the crew members had tested positive for Covid-19. The Ushuaia 24 news portal said that all of them remain isolated on the ship, the Etchizen Maru, and that they would not be allowed to disembark. Only medical personnel would be allowed to board, it added.

The incident has attracted attention since prior to setting sail the 60 crew members had completed 14 days of mandatory quarantine in a hotel in Ushuaia, and before that they had been swabbed with a negative result, according to a statement from the Tierra del Fuego health portfolio, in the southern tip.

"It is difficult to establish how the contagion of this crew was, since in these 35 days they have not had contact with land and the supply is made only when leaving the port of Ushuaia," said Alejandra Alfaro, the director of the province's Atención Temprana de Salud centre.

More:
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/surprise-over-covid-19-cases-onboard-fishing-vessel-after-35-days-at-sea.phtml








Echizen Maru







Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina

Most southern point of land in the Americas.

[Backseat Driver]

1. On surfaces of loaded supplies or inadequately cleaned deck rails/structure?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Looks as if they've had time to check off the likely sources of contamination,

I'll definitely keep my eyes open if and when I find anything on this, and post it on this thread.

57 sailors out of 61 doesn't leave a lot of able bodied people to get the boat back to port! So strange.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Mystery As Argentine Sailors Infected With Virus After 35 Days At Sea

AFP - Agence France Presse By AFP - Agence France Presse
July 13, 2020

Argentina is trying to solve a medical mystery after 57 sailors were infected with the coronavirus after 35 days at sea, despite the entire crew testing negative before leaving port.

The Echizen Maru fishing trawler returned to port after some of its crew began exhibiting symptoms typical of COVID-19, the health ministry for the southern Tierra del Fuego province said Monday.

According to the ministry, 57 sailors, out of 61 crew members, were diagnosed with the virus after undergoing a new test.

However, all of the crew members had undergone 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a hotel in the city of Ushuaia. Prior to that, they had negative results, the ministry said in a statement.

Two of the other sailors have tested negative, and two others are awaiting test results, the province's emergency operations committee said.

Two sailors were hospitalized.

More:
https://www.barrons.com/news/mystery-as-argentine-sailors-infected-with-virus-after-35-days-at-sea-01594691706

[soothsayer]

4. Tests aren't that accurate. Probably a false negative let a spreader on board