Confirmed case of Covid on Grandiosa October 7th sailing

[BermudaBound2014]

I hate to link to Jim Walker's site, but it is the only place I found any information about MSC being denied entry into Malta due to covid. It appears guests were exposed during the October 7th sailing, but details are lacking. 

 

On another note: I found this particular paragraph very odd. If true, I don't believe the CDC would approve a similar protocol. I expect the CDC will require passengers boarding ships to be notified if a positive case was identified onboard. 

 

"One thing appears certain regarding MSC’s (as well as Costa’s) new protocols is that they apparently do not require the cruise line to publicly disclose that there has been a confirmed positive COVID-19 case during a cruise. Last week, we reported that there had been eight positive cases confirmed on the Costa Diadema which also sailed from an Italian port. Costa did not publicly reveal this information. Only through reporting by the Italian press did the public learn this information. At a minimum, the next group of passengers who are booked to sail on a ship with infected guests or crew members should be notified of a confirmed case. They should also have the right to cancel their cruise with a full and immediate refund of their cruise fares.

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2020/10/articles/uncategorized/italian-ministry-of-health-confirmed-case-of-covid-19-on-the-msc-grandiosa/

 

 

 

 

[mnocket]

Now here's a great question for the next time a cruise line CEO is interviewed.....

 

Is your cruise line committed to being transparent?  Will you notify the public of any Covid outbreaks?

 

It's sad to admit, but I'm not sure how they would answer.😟

[BermudaBound2014]

17 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Now here's a great question for the next time a cruise line CEO is interviewed.....

 

Is your cruise line committed to being transparent?  Will you notify the public of any Covid outbreaks?

 

It's sad to admit, but I'm not sure how they would answer.😟

 

I tend to believe the CDC is going to force transparency and disclosure. That may be one of the factors in why it's taking so long for the USA to open cruising. 

[cruiseboy89130]

Who cares - it doesn't make any difference if they disclose it or not!

[BermudaBound2014]

25 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Who cares - it doesn't make any difference if they disclose it or not!

 

I suspect there are a great many people who disagree with you on this topic. 

[broberts]

43 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

Who cares - it doesn't make any difference if they disclose it or not!

 

It does make a difference if good contact tracing is not being performed. Even with cross border contact tracing it is good public policy to inform all potential infected immediately. Otherwise they may not take suitable precautions and as a result may inadvertently kill a loved one.

[8420PR]

Here are the details of the special COVID measures required by Italy for cruise ships.  

 

https://info.lr.org/l/12702/2020-08-14/9csgtf/

 

MSC need to report suspected and confirmed cases to the authorities (at each port, as well as to the Italian USMAF).   They don't need to create a press release for each case, and personally I don't know of any company or sector that must do that.   

 

Close contacts must be informed and quarantined, but the social distancing measures on board ensure the rest of the ship is not impacted.   

[BermudaBound2014]

5 hours ago, 8420PR said:

Close contacts must be informed and quarantined, but the social distancing measures on board ensure the rest of the ship is not impacted.   

 

I wonder what the definition is of a "close contact"? Let's say your waiter tests positive for Covid. Does that mean that every passenger he/she served is quarantined in their cabins? There is no social distancing from a waiter and typically passengers eating are not wearing masks so social distancing/masks are not relevant in this scenario. I read that MSC is doing contact tracing via the electronic wrist band. I'd hate to end up quarantined in my cabin because a person sitting next to me at lunch tested positive. So many questions still unanswered.

 

 

[cruiseboy89130]

9 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I wonder what the definition is of a "close contact"? Let's say your waiter tests positive for Covid. Does that mean that every passenger he/she served is quarantined in their cabins? There is no social distancing from a waiter and typically passengers eating are not wearing masks so social distancing/masks are not relevant in this scenario. I read that MSC is doing contact tracing via the electronic wrist band. I'd hate to end up quarantined in my cabin because a person sitting next to me at lunch tested positive. So many questions still unanswered.

 

 

Actually it is very easy you - are right on all accounts!

Any person you spend 15 Minutes or more with - within 6  feet - counts as close contact!

Very easy to understand and they trace it automatically on these newer ships.

So it is all quite clear!

If someone - especially a waiter - is positive it will put quite a few into quarantine....

If you don't want to risk this - stay home!

Quarantine is not the end of the world....it can happen anywhere any time!

Edited October 21, 2020 by cruiseboy89130

[xcell]

Depends, if the waiter is wearing a mask, less likely he can spread it to you...

[cruiseboy89130]

9 hours ago, xcell said:

Depends, if the waiter is wearing a mask, less likely he can spread it to you...

That has no impact on the rules for testing or quarantine!

[xcell]

18 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

That has no impact on the rules for testing or quarantine!

I was only commenting on if the waiter is postive for Covid (which in then he shouldn't be working or on the cruiseship but hypothetically, if he was), wearing a mask would reduce the chance he spread it to the people he is serving. Now the people he interacts with in the cabin or other places where he doesn't, that's another problem.

 

 

[cruiseboy89130]

4 minutes ago, xcell said:

I was only commenting on if the waiter is postive for Covid (which in then he shouldn't be working or on the cruiseship but hypothetically, if he was), wearing a mask would reduce the chance he spread it to the people he is serving. Now the people he interacts with in the cabin or other places where he doesn't, that's another problem.

 

 

If he is wearing a mask or not has no impact on the rules for testing or quarantine of the passengers!

So what is your point?

[8420PR]

On 10/20/2020 at 6:30 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I wonder what the definition is of a "close contact"? Let's say your waiter tests positive for Covid. Does that mean that every passenger he/she served is quarantined in their cabins? There is no social distancing from a waiter and typically passengers eating are not wearing masks so social distancing/masks are not relevant in this scenario. I read that MSC is doing contact tracing via the electronic wrist band. I'd hate to end up quarantined in my cabin because a person sitting next to me at lunch tested positive. So many questions still unanswered.

 

 

 

Below is the 'close contact' definition from Europe CDC for cruise ships.  The 15 minutes is currently a continuous measure (i.e. 15 minutes all in one go), but the US CDC has just this week change their definition to 15 minutes cumulative, which could then include your waiter.

 

 

Quote

High risk exposure (close) contact:

 

 A person who has stayed in the same cabin with a case;

 A cabin steward who cleaned the cabin of a case or who delivered food to the cabin where the case was staying.

 A person who has had face to face contact (on-board or on-shore) within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes or who was in a closed environment for more than 15 minutes with a case. For passengers this could include but is not limited to participating in common activities, participating in the same immediate travelling group, or taking a class as well as sharing the same social space such as restaurant or gym. This also includes intimate partners. For crew this may include working in the same area as a case or socialising with a case (including fellow crew members), waiting on a table where a case was dining or leading a social activity where the case was participating.

 Healthcare worker or other person providing direct care for a case without wearing appropriate PPE.
 

 

 

MSC is supposedly using the wristbands to do contact tracing between passengers, but I am a bit skeptical of this.

Edited October 24, 2020 by 8420PR