29 more Vincentian cruise ship crew back home

Thirty-four more Vincentians, including 29 crew members from TUI and Carnival Cruise Lines, were repatriated from the United Kingdom via Barbados on Wednesday June 3, 2020.

“On arrival at the AIA, the nationals will be processed according to the established repatriation protocol, aimed at minimizing the risk of any new introduction of COVID-19 to St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” a release from the National Emergency Management Organization dated June 3, said.

Additional repatriations of Vincentians will continue throughout June 2020 and will include crew members from the Norwegian Cruise Line Company and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, the release said.

Meanwhile, 122 crew members from the Carnival Cruise Line and the Disney Cruise Line will successfully complete their mandatory quarantine on June 4.

“On Saturday May 30, 2020, the two outstanding COVID-19 PCR results were received for the RCCL crew members and were both negative. This batch of results from CARPHA also confirmed the recovery of another COVID-19 positive person, bringing to fifteen (15) the number of persons who have so far recovered from COVID-19 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This means that there are now eleven (11) active cases of COVID-19 here,” the release said.

The Health Subcommittee is reminding the public of the continued importance of maintaining the public health measures currently in place which include hand hygiene, cough etiquette, physical distancing of at least 3-6 feet in public spaces, the smart use of masks and strict adherence to quarantine and isolation. These measures are even more critical now that hundreds of Vincentians are returning home and intraregional travel increases.