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Braemar turned away from Dominican Republic


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2 hours ago, Lottie A said:

 

Mmmmmm.....      and Fred have put another flash on - more trying to reassure than anything

 

https://www.fredolsencruises.com/braemar-update

 

The whole world has gone mad.   So gov. will want older people to isolate soon and Matt Hancock says he will want to imprison older people whist suggesting anyone who is healthy can assist the old people if they are healthy.  So he wants do gooders going from house to house, quite probably spreading infection anyway.  Then suggests ordering on line if no family - could just imagine the response to that of my then 95 year old MIL a couple of years ago when she was living on her own 280 miles away.  Ok we could have ordered for her, but not everyone has that option and many people do not have a garden, or even a back yard.  A certain party with no idea of what the poorer society are all about.  Then wonders why there is panic buying.

 

MIL currently in hospital and doctor wants to speak to relatives tomorrow, so looks ominous and her care home have already stopped visitors entirely.  The really amazing thing is the hospital is still as happy as Larry to have visitors spend 6 hours a day there! 

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5 minutes ago, Lottie A said:

Just a “heads up” ....medics are expecting a big Government announcement on Tuesday.

 

I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to be. ☹️

 

If you are to work through this I wish you the very best.  Perhaps my recent post seemed OTT to you, but I bet the MP's will not be in the same sorry state as poorer members of society.

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26 minutes ago, tring said:

 

If you are to work through this I wish you the very best.  Perhaps my recent post seemed OTT to you, but I bet the MP's will not be in the same sorry state as poorer members of society.


I’m quite sure they won’t Barbara. 
 

Take care of yourself and your loved ones. It’s going to be a very tough few months for everyone. 

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On 3/12/2020 at 10:42 PM, Lottie A said:

Braemar  has now been denied berthing at The Bahamas due to the Covid-19 positive passengers and crew onboard the ship. Sadly I expected this and I'm not sure if any Caribbean island would take the risk of letting passengers disembark the ship on their island now. 

 

If they had headed home across the Atlantic they would be half way here by now. As it is, they are sailing around The Caribbean with nowhere to go. I feel very sorry for the unfortunate passengers and crew onboard. 

Think the ship had to refuel and take on food supplies before being able to sail back.  At anchor that must be a logistical nightmare. 
Announced today latest numbers indicate 20 sick passengers and 20 sick crew which includes the ships doctor!  Extra medical staff to go onboard.  Saying it would take 10 days for this ship to get back.  That’s a long time for the virus to spread.  Additional measures are they have now stopped the theatre shows and they are on TV. Really!  

Why these passengers are not self isolating beats me.  Infection models indicate the spread in a confined environment increases from 2/3 to 14.6.  Ideally they would all be on the way home now to self isolate and have access to hospital care if needed.  
Has the government of the Bahamas really got to wait for a critically ill passenger to die before acting in the only humanitarian way acceptable.  They have benefitted by millions from the cruise industry in the past.  

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2 hours ago, seapals2 said:

Has the government of the Bahamas really got to wait for a critically ill passenger to die before acting in the only humanitarian way acceptable.  They have benefitted by millions from the cruise industry in the past.  

1)   I suspect the Islands which have turned away the ship do not have the medical resources to manage an influx of at least 40 critically ill people, plus the so far un-diagnosed, but infected from this ship.   

2)  Providing the limited resources they do have  to the Braemar will result in less for their own people. I suspect medical supply shortages to treat COVID-19 patients will be evident in First World countries and even more dire in the undeveloped Caribbean. A country with limited resources can not seriously be expected  to somehow manage to quarantine, and support some 1,200 passengers and crew while providing the medical care necessary?

3)  It's well documented the cruise ship passengers spend minimal amounts on Caribbean islands. The revenue from the port fees collected barely covers the infrastructure costs incurred in building the ports.To suggest the government of the Bahamas "Owes" a cruise line anything should perhaps be reconsidered.

4)  The best and only option is for the ship to disembark it's passengers and crew in a country with the medical capacity to support the ill people, while minimizing the risk to the host population. 

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I understand your point and can see that for the people who live in the Bahamas this ship on their doorstep is the last thing they would want.   I’m sure Japan didn’t relish the thought of aprox 700 cases to deal with in their hospitals.  Thank god they didn’t turn them away.  The world offers them a huge debt of gratitude.  I hope the UK would have responded equally as well.  
If flights were arranged when the ship arrived the majority of the passengers onboard could have been flown home .. they have not been in isolation so no concerns about separating them on the flight now.  I hope there are only a very few that are seriously ill enough to require hospitalisation the rest would require transportation only to the nearest airport.  The help they have offered so far has been the equivalent of throwing a cup of water on a forest fire.  How can any ship possibly take on enough supplies at anchor for a 1000 passengers and crew for a 10 day voyage.  They will be there a week. 
 

it looks like Cuba may be offering support .. the US has already closed airports to Incoming UK flights ... presumably could allow flights out.  

 


 

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A huge sense of relief ... hopefully all passengers able to travel home.  No doubt many will find themselves with symptoms in the coming days and weeks but will have the reassurance of hospitals close to home.  Apart from needing transport they should spend little time in Cuba.  Four flights have been arranged with British Airways.  
Our friends onboard showing no symptoms at present but obviously will need to self isolate back at home.  It could have ended so much worse for many of them.  

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7 hours ago, seapals2 said:

A huge sense of relief ... hopefully all passengers able to travel home.  No doubt many will find themselves with symptoms in the coming days and weeks but will have the reassurance of hospitals close to home.  Apart from needing transport they should spend little time in Cuba.  Four flights have been arranged with British Airways.  
Our friends onboard showing no symptoms at present but obviously will need to self isolate back at home.  It could have ended so much worse for many of them.  

Good on Cuba letting them fly back from there. It doesn’t answer what will happen to those that have already tested positive. Can’t imagine they can fly back and will Cuba want them?

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4 of the original 5 positive cases were crew and will presumably stay onboard in isolation.  The other passenger could well be making a recovery and well enough to travel.  The other passengers who are in isolation are hopefully not too ill to travel.  
There has been no quarantine for the rest of the passengers since the first confirmed cases.  So to isolate them now is pointless they almost certainly have all been exposed to the virus and guess many will go on to get symptoms after returning home. 
The BA will try and put the passengers showing no symptoms on separate flights to those with symptoms at present.  There are a few other nationalities and as yet unsure what the plan is for them.  

You have to think this is costing the UK and Fred Olsen a huge payout. 

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1 hour ago, seapals2 said:

 

Thanks for the latest link - all looking in order at the moment then.  So the MOD will have the reigns regards the people who are ill and they should be well experienced in dealing with medical issues, albeit usually injuries.  I suspect there has been training for any possibility of biological warfare at some stage though - cannot better that.

 

Not so sure I would be over the moon if left ill in Cuba as we have experienced Cuban medical facilities.  They have loads of trained medical/nursing staff, but it seems to be based in the 1950's, with modern medicines are in short supply, if available at all.  I assume the MOD will leave the Braemar passengers alongside the required medicines and know how (and possibly a medic as well).  Cuba does what it needs to do in society though and will have plenty of staff to make sure all is well disinfected, so should not be a risk to the rest of the population.

 

It still sounds like the crew are staying on board for now and presumably across the Atlantic, so I do hope they are all OK.

 

Arcadia heading for South Africa, hoping to fly people home, but that now changed to "technical stop for fuel, medical needs, provisions etc." at Durban and having to sail back to the UK up the west coast of Africa.  I have not seen any reports of illness, but given more people have been embarking and passengers going ashore elsewhere, it does make me wonder if the ship is completely clean.  Not sure I would want to be there either.  

 

 

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