Covid-19 Confirmed on Hurtigruten vessel

[donaldsc]

6 hours ago, bones774 said:

I have a 12 day coastal voyage booked in Dec myself, have a small deposit down, let's see what H does. I would think that at a minimum they will give credit, though prefer to have cash back at this point.

 

We are booked on a Hurtigrutin Alaska cruise in August 2021 that goes from Vancouver to Nome - we hope.

 

DON

[luxecruisers]

On 8/3/2020 at 12:17 AM, grayjay said:

On the circumnavigation voyage that didn't happen any more most of the passengers were Norwegian, with a sprinkling of Germans, Austrians and from Switzerland. They were lucky in being denied boarding on their day of departure...

 

Interesting to know some of the nationalities that were allowed on board ... Thank you! 

[hallasm]

4 hours ago, luxecruisers said:

Interesting to know some of the nationalities that were allowed on board .

From July 15 people from most EU countries can enter a Norway - hence they can board the Hurtigruten ship.

There were some passengers from Austria, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Latvia and Estonia.

[jakob71]

According to the Norwegian TV2 News, the status when it came to COVID-19 and Roald Amundsen, is that yesterday a total of 53 were infected (37 crew and 16 passengers).

Of these, four from the crew and one passenger is now treated at the University Hospital i Tromsø.

 

The article also states that the medical superintendent in Tromsø municipality, says that Roald Amundsen's two doctors are now exempt from their duties. The reason is explained by the fact that a proper co-operation has not been achieved with the two doctors.

 

https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/11572299/

 

[trbarton]

41 minutes ago, jakob71 said:

According to the Norwegian TV2 News, the status when it came to COVID-19 and Roald Amundsen, is that yesterday a total of 53 were infected (37 crew and 16 passengers).

Of these, four from the crew and one passenger is now treated at the University Hospital i Tromsø.

 

The article also states that the medical superintendent in Tromsø municipality, says that Roald Amundsen's two doctors are now exempt from their duties. The reason is explained by the fact that a proper co-operation has not been achieved with the two doctors.

 

https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/11572299/

 

How can I translate your article into English?

 

Tom🤔

[icepeople]

5 minutes ago, trbarton said:

How can I translate your article into English?

 

Tom🤔

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tv2.no%2Fnyheter%2F11572299%2F%3Fsource%3D122648

 

Warning: As the editor of an English-language newspaper where the ship was sailing while infected, I never use Google Translate for anything in articles since it's not entirely reliable. But the above will give you a general idea. The article below is my English-language article that mentions the doctors, concerns about crew in shared quarters that were ignored other developments today.

http://icepeople.net/2020/08/06/covid-19-cases-from-roald-amundsen-rises-to-53-french-luxury-ship-continuing-svalbard-cruises-beginning-this-weekend-trade-minister-discusses-tourism-crisis-during-visit/

Edited August 6, 2020 by icepeople

[trbarton]

12 minutes ago, icepeople said:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tv2.no%2Fnyheter%2F11572299%2F%3Fsource%3D122648

 

Warning: As the editor of an English-language newspaper where the ship was sailing while infected, I never use Google Translate for anything in articles since it's not entirely reliable. But the above will give you a general idea. The article below is my English-language article that mentions the doctors, concerns about crew in shared quarters that were ignored other developments today.

http://icepeople.net/2020/08/06/covid-19-cases-from-roald-amundsen-rises-to-53-french-luxury-ship-continuing-svalbard-cruises-beginning-this-weekend-trade-minister-discusses-tourism-crisis-during-visit/

Thank you very much. What’s happened in Norway may effect other cruise lines that are considering to start crushing. Hopefully there will be lessons to learn. 
 

Tom😀

Edited August 6, 2020 by trbarton

[cpl100]

On 8/2/2020 at 4:47 AM, ighten said:

Sorry but you will never stop Covid on a ship -- this will and is bound to happen.. BUT you have the same if not more chance of getting infected at a shopping mall or supermarket or bar etc etc.. 

 

The world is going to have to get used to this and stop heading into disaster mode every time something happens .. Even if  there is ever  a Vaccine or not Covid is here to stay for a long time yet.. 

 

The important thing however is that when it appears we have the facilities to deal with it .. Hurti seem to have dropped the ball a little on this one (though it depends if you read their version or the drama press version just how far they dropped it).. 

 

Someone had to start cruising to get things rolling - but its up to them to get it right when a case occurs (because there will be little or no chance of it not being brought onboard any ship, shopping mall, bar, supermarket etc etc etc)

 

 

Regardless,  they dropped the ball with the crew members, they allowed a cruise the week after they knew there were positive cases from the prior cruise, they failed to notify passengers and they egregiously attempted to keep the information put of the press.

 

This is not the behavior I would support and therefore will not cruise with them.  It also reflects on their umbrella company.  And, unfortunately,  it reflects on the industry as a whole woth regard to adherence to safety measures,  concern for patrons well-being and transparency. 

[jakob71]

First, I think it is not unexpected that one can have different opinions about how Hurtigruten has handled the COVID-19 infection on board the MS Roald Amundsen. I am thinking, among other things, of the information previously given to passengers on board, information given to the Norwegian authorities, to the public and to the media.

 

For those who may be interested, I have attached a link to an article that was written yesterday in the Norwegian well-known newspaper, Aftenposten, from one of the newspaper's commentators, Joachim Lund.

The article shows his views on what he thinks about Hurtigruten's information strategy. Unfortunately, the article is written in Norwegian, but the content will be understandable by using Goolge Translate, for instance.

 

https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kommentar/i/vQ4JVX/full-tillit-til-hurtigruten-ledelsen-jeg-vet-ikke-om-jeg-skal-le-el

[hallasm]

@jakob71 Thank you for sharing, however we cannot read the article in ,Aftenposten’ without subscription. 

[jakob71]

56 minutes ago, hallasm said:

@jakob71 Thank you for sharing, however we cannot read the article in ,Aftenposten’ without subscription. 

 

I’m sorry! I thought the article link I attached a copy of, was possible to read without a subcription. For information only, I have copied just the first part of Lund’s article: 

 

«Full confidence in the Hurtigruten management». I do not know if I should laugh or cry. | Joacim Lund

The Hurtigruten case has become a tragicomic farce.

 

A classic, comic grip screenwriters know how to use is to put a character in a difficult situation that he or she is trying to cover up. A lot is at stake, and when everything goes wrong, it becomes harder and harder to keep both the mask and the overview. The greater the distance between the facade and reality, the more fun it becomes. John Cleese as hotel director Basil Fawlty in the English TV series, Fawlty Towers, is a brilliant example of this.

 

An example from reality is the old TV interviews in which Saddam Hussein's information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, stubbornly claimed that Iraq was about to win the war - while American tanks rolled into the streets of Baghdad behind him. He was nicknamed "Comic Ali".

 

And now «Comic Ali» and Basil Fawlty are joined by Trygve Hegnar himself, chairman of the board of Hurtigruten, who solemnly declares that he has "full confidence in the management". It's almost like one would think it was a typo. "Zero trust" would be more natural.»

 

 

[icepeople]

Here's another opinion column not behind a paywall and filtered through Google Translate (so approach with caution). Basically it says given that the doctors on the ships are now confined to their cabins, among other snafus, what the (heck) didn't Hurtigruten not understand about a pandemic existing and who the (heck) is in charge there?

 

Opening sentence/sub-head: "It is almost unbelievable: On Thursday, the municipal chief in Tromsø had to take over the medical responsibility for corona-affected MS Roald Amundsen. Then she asked the two ship doctors to go to their cabins…"

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nettavisen.no%2Fnyheter%2Fhva-er-det-hurtigruten-ikke-forstar%2F3424001964.html

Edited August 7, 2020 by icepeople
fix typo

[npcl]

23 hours ago, cpl100 said:

Regardless,  they dropped the ball with the crew members, they allowed a cruise the week after they knew there were positive cases from the prior cruise, they failed to notify passengers and they egregiously attempted to keep the information put of the press.

 

This is not the behavior I would support and therefore will not cruise with them.  It also reflects on their umbrella company.  And, unfortunately,  it reflects on the industry as a whole woth regard to adherence to safety measures,  concern for patrons well-being and transparency. 

Not unlike the large cruise lines who used the term "flu like symptoms" to cover up the outbreaks on board, neglected to test unless forced by land base authorities prior to the cruising shutdown. So you can add the lines owned by RCL, CCL to the list as well

Edited August 7, 2020 by npcl

[resistk]

18 hours ago, npcl said:

Not unlike the large cruise lines who used the term "flu like symptoms" to cover up the outbreaks on board, neglected to test unless forced by land base authorities prior to the cruising shutdown. So you can add the lines owned by RCL, CCL to the list as well

 

Looks like the entire country regrest their foolishness in thinking they could reopen to tourism:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/norwegians-told-to-avoid-all-foreign-travel-as-virus-surges/ar-BB17GG9o

 

[icepeople]

10 minutes ago, resistk said:

 

Looks like the entire country regrest their foolishness in thinking they could reopen to tourism:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/norwegians-told-to-avoid-all-foreign-travel-as-virus-surges/ar-BB17GG9o

 

 

Here's what folks here seem to be raising the most fuss about…

The stoke of midnight Sunday will be a sobering chime for patrons in bars and restaurants in Longyearbyen as well as the rest of Norway, as a ban on serving alcohol after that hour will go into effect indefinitely to slow down the adverse COVID-19 related impacts resulting from the “reopening” of Norway beginning in June.

 

“There is a connection between alcohol consumption and how you behave,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.

 

http://icepeople.net/2020/08/08/no-alcohol-after-midnight-upward-trend-in-national-covid-19-infections-results-in-new-restrictions-including-serving-time-limits-in-barsrestaurants/

[jakob71]

Just for information: In the TV news tonight on NRK's Dagsrevyen, it was stated that the total number of COVID-19 infected from MS Roald Amundsen, has now increased to 62 (41 crew members and 21 passengers).

[luxecruisers]

On 8/5/2020 at 12:45 AM, hallasm said:

From July 15 people from most EU countries can enter a Norway - hence they can board the Hurtigruten ship.

There were some passengers from Austria, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Latvia and Estonia.

 

Hi Hallasm,

Thanks for the update! Do you know if they allowed any Spanish, Italian, or English?

[luxecruisers]

On 8/9/2020 at 11:36 AM, jakob71 said:

Just for information: In the TV news tonight on NRK's Dagsrevyen, it was stated that the total number of COVID-19 infected from MS Roald Amundsen, has now increased to 62 (41 crew members and 21 passengers).

 

Ouch!

[hallasm]

9 hours ago, luxecruisers said:

Do you know if they allowed any Spanish, Italian, or English?

Here is link to current restrictions

map as by August 8, 2020- Italy and UK are fine - Spain is red

[Roger88]

18 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Here is link to current restrictions

map as by August 8, 2020- Italy and UK are fine - Spain is red

I wouldn't say that UK is fine. Yes, they got some less limited access to the country, but within the country itself everything is primarily closed, its hard to go to other towns and I doubt there are any entertainments on the streets. So the place must be super boring right now.. If I had to choose, I would rather go to Sweden or something.. at least the boredome will be justified

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

I wouldn't say that UK is fine. Yes, they got some less limited access to the country, but within the country itself everything is primarily closed, its hard to go to other towns and I doubt there are any entertainments on the streets. So the place must be super boring right now.. If I had to choose, I would rather go to Sweden or something.. at least the boredome will be justified

Roger - you obviously know nothing about how things are here in the UK. 

Why give out totally inaccurate information- it just demonstrates your ignorance.

[hallasm]

27 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

I wouldn't say that UK is fine.

This is in accordance with ‘Infection control advice for travel and entry quarantine’ from Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

[wowzz]

12 hours ago, hallasm said:

This is in accordance with ‘Infection control advice for travel and entry quarantine’ from Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Well, I can travel around the UK drink in pubs, eat in restaurants, go to shops, but yes, there are no buskers.

I'm not aware of any country forbidding travel to the UK at the current time.

[npcl]

UK  is running about 1.5 cases per 100,000 population, not quite as good as Germany at 1.2 per 100k reported new cases.  Norway a bit better at .9 per 100k.

 

So not bad.  A fairly safe number, though both Germany and the UK are having an upward trajectory in their 7 day moving averages. Not a steep one, but noticeable.

 

To compare the US is running at 16 per 100,000 population reported cases. Due to testing issues I would expect the US to be a bit more under reported than either the UK or Germany.

Edited August 15, 2020 by npcl

[Heartfelttraveler]

My question is - Are the 61 plus new cases just positives, or are there serious hospitalizations?