Positive COVID case on Paul Gauguin

[Petoonya]

Tahitian Big Kahuna sent me this information this morning. Very sad.

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/covid-19-case-paul-gauguin-french-polynesia

 

I'm not clear on the science but the (RT) PCR test which is the one required 72 hours before passengers board flights, was supposed to be very accurate. Now I read that there are varying levels of accuracy depending on when the virus is contracted, and it's not so much within the first few days of exposure.

Hopefully this is a stumbling block, more will be learned and the process of allowing tourists into Tahiti will either stay on track or be postponed to resume later with more accurate testing.

 

TBK will be reporting in when he learns more.

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

1 hour ago, Petoonya said:

Tahitian Big Kahuna sent me this information this morning. Very sad.

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/covid-19-case-paul-gauguin-french-polynesia

 

I'm not clear on the science but the (RT) PCR test which is the one required 72 hours before passengers board flights, was supposed to be very accurate. Now I read that there are varying levels of accuracy depending on when the virus is contracted, and it's not so much within the first few days of exposure.

Hopefully this is a stumbling block, more will be learned and the process of allowing tourists into Tahiti will either stay on track or be postponed to resume later with more accurate testing.

 

TBK will be reporting in when he learns more.

 

Ship has medical team on-board right now. Will update once the 'facts' are known/verified. 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Mercruiser]

Taking the Seatrade article at face value, this is not good news at all. 

 

This reinforces why I agree with the FP decision to require a second Covid test, 4 days after arrival. The FP policy is to allow zero Covid to circulate freely in their country. To succeed in that requires multiple layers of testing. A single test, 72 hours before departure, even if 100% accurate, would not protect against travellers that catch or develop Covid after taking the test.

[Mercruiser]

On a related note, Hurtigruten is having a full-blown crew outbreak

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/08/01/hurtigruten-cruise-line-33-crew-infected-covid-19-norway/5562151002/

 

Also, not good news.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Mercruiser

[Petoonya]

 

Feel so badly for these folks. They were the cruise test subjects.

 

But sadly the French Polynesians are the most unfortunate test subjects.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Petoonya

[Mercruiser]

RNZ news: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/422613/suspected-covid-19-case-on-cruise-ship-in-tahiti

[Mercruiser]

News from the Tahiti news site:

https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Le-Covid-19-decele-a-bord-du-Paul-Gauguin_a193149.html

 

[Mercruiser]

Translated text

Tahiti, August 2, 2020 - A case of Covid-19 was diagnosed on board the cruise ship Paul Gauguin, on Saturday learned our colleagues from the editorial staff of Polynesia the 1st. The ship was diverted to Papeete where it arrived on Sunday morning.

According to our information, it is a passenger on board the Paul Gauguin ship who was diagnosed with Covid-19. This positive diagnosis follows the analysis of a self-test carried out by the latter, four days after her arrival in Polynesia.

The liner was cruising between Bora Bora and Rangiroa when the information was communicated to the ship. The Paul Gauguin was immediately diverted to Papeete where it arrived early Sunday morning. All passengers have since been kept in confinement in their cabin.

As soon as the liner arrived in Papeete, a medical team tested the passengers and crew members who came into contact with the patient on Sunday. A systematic test of 148 passengers and 192 crew members is scheduled in the afternoon around 3 p.m. Everyone is kept on board in isolation, awaiting the results of the analyzes " probably in the evening ", indicates a press release sent at midday by the high commission. " In accordance with its commitments, the Ponant company has implemented strict isolation measures on board. A health investigation is currently underway into the contacts that the person concerned could have had ", reassures this official press release.

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Mercruiser

[Mercruiser]

Seems that the 4-day test was the key here:

"According to our information, it is a passenger on board the Paul Gauguin ship who was diagnosed with Covid-19. This positive diagnosis follows the analysis of a self-test carried out by the latter, four days after her arrival in Polynesia."

 

"A systematic test of 148 passengers and 192 crew members is scheduled in the afternoon around 3 p.m. Everyone is kept on board in isolation, awaiting the results of the analyzes " probably in the evening"

 

Unfortunately, testing everyone today is not going to be sufficient to detect who may have caught Covid from the infected passenger. It takes about 3 to 7 days after exposure, on average, to test positive. Some take longer which is why a 14-day quarantine is usually required.

 

I predict these passengers are going to be confined to the ship for at least a week, if not 14 days. This cruise is over.

 

Not an auspicious start to the Tahiti cruise season. ☹️

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Mercruiser

[Mercruiser]

Here is an updated article from Tahiti.

American tourist tested positive for Covid aboard Paul Gauguin

https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Une-touriste-americaine-testee-positive-au-Covid-a-bord-du-Paul-Gauguin_a193149.html

 

• 340 passengers and crew are confined onboard
• 148 passengers, 192 crew
• All passengers are confined to cabins
• Meals brought to passengers rooms
• the infected passenger has been removed from the ship and is under quarantine
• They are contact tracing everyone who may have been exposed 

[Petoonya]

13 hours ago, Mercruiser said:

Not an auspicious start to the Tahiti cruise season. ☹️

 

Sure have that right. 😞

Know we're all feeling terrible in for the passengers and Polynesians. Maybe for ourselves too. But it hits me now and again, here I am so tangled up in this cruise that I forget about people who are horribly sick and dying from this scourge. Puts things in perspective, but probably still won't stop me from paying very close attention to these threads.

[capriccio]

The thread on this topic on the PG board contains more current information: 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2757229-positive-covid-case-on-paul-gauguins-1st-cruise/

 

[Mercruiser]

Here is an update from the Tahiti Newspaper

Paul Gauguin: The results of the tests still awaited, the landing postponed

https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Paul-Gauguin-Les-resultats-des-tests-toujours-attendus-le-debarquement-reporte_a193181.html

 

• All passengers will spend Monday night on the ship (except person with Covid)
• Testing results are delayed
• Everyone is still confined to their cabins
• The American tourist with Covid-19, as well as her mother who shared her cabin, were both extracted from the ship and placed in isolation in Tahiti. They stayed at the IC Tahiti before going to Bora Bora, where they took the 4-day test. Contact tracing is underway
• A letter from the ship's captain was sent to the passengers of the Paul Gauguin to offer them three options after this aborted cruise. Customers can choose to participate free of charge in an upcoming cruise in the Marquesas from August 29 to September 12, to benefit for two years of a credit for a future cruise "calculated at 120% of the cruise fare paid for this trip" or to benefit from full reimbursement of their trip.
• Country President Edouard Fritch and High Commissioner Dominique Sorain will hold a press conference on Monday at the end of the day at 5 p.m. to review the situation.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Mercruiser

[Mercruiser]

Here is a first-hand report from the PG roll call:

 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Mercruiser

[Mercruiser]

There were only 5 USA passengers on the ship - and one of them brought Covid. Not good.

[Mercruiser]

Test results are in. No more Covid cases (yet)

https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Aucun-autre-cas-positif-sur-le-Paul-Gauguin_a193186.html

 

There still could be somebody who tests positive in the next few days. It takes several days from the time you are exposed for the virus to reproduce enough to show on the tests.

[Mercruiser]

According to the Tahiti press, they disembarked the ship Monday night and put everyone in a 1 week confinement (quarantine).

 

https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Les-passagers-du-Gauguin-debarques-et-confines_a193190.html

 

Excerpts:

The occupants of the ship began to be disembarked Monday evening and placed in confinement, mainly at home.

The other occupants of the ship have signed a pledge to respect their home confinement, the majority of cruise passengers being Polynesian residents, or in individual accommodation for tourists. Confinement planned for one week, with control from the health watch office and the high commission."

 

See my other post about the new cruise boarding test that will be required. 

 

 

[Mercruiser]

In addition to the PG, in the last few days there have been Covid cases that have interrupted cruises for:

• Hurtigruten (Norway)
• UnCruise Adventures (Alaska)
• Sea Dream Yacht Club (Norway)
• AIDA (Germany)

Unfortunately, all it takes is one passenger or crew with Covid, and the voyage has to be cancelled for everyone. Clearly, it's not going to be simple to get cruising restarted.

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/past-seadream-guest-has-coronavirus-everyone-aboard-quarantined

[tert333]

Looks like there are 5 more cases in FP.

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/423060/covid-19-outbreak-in-french-polynesia