Quantum returning to port - possible coronavirus case onboard.

[twangster]

They'll never be able to keep all cases off a ship just like they can't keep all cases out of church, or school, or restaurants, or bars and so on.   

 

The protocols are design to detect and isolate.  That's more than is done in church, schools, restaurants, bars and so many other places.  

 

Cases are getting on airplanes and spread is occurring.  It's going undetected and few are blaming the airplane, or bus or train but they are all spreading the virus.  

 

We all need to chill and wait for the vaccine to reach the masses.  There won't be any cruising in the US until then.

 

 

[BND]

Why is anyone surprised?  You can test til you're blue in the face, but if someone is exposed and boards before they have enough in their system to come up positive, this is going to happen.  As I've said all along, it's going to end up being no vaccine, no cruising.

[farmersfight]

34 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Quarter 4 of 2021. 

 

 

 

As long as it is the 1st half of the 1st 3rd of Quarter 4 of 2021 😉.

[A&L_Ont]

2 minutes ago, BND said:

As I've said all along, it's going to end up being no vaccine, no cruising.

I think the cute 90 year old lady in England who got the vaccine today is a Pinnacle Memeber. She’s ahead of the curve. 😉

Edited December 9, 2020 by A&L_Ont

[DaniDanielle]

Agree, you can be negative today and positive tomorrow.  We have friends that were exposed and tested negative.  They wanted to go out and eat with us and I had to tell them wait at lest two weeks.

Negative means nothing.

[HowardK]

I'm waiting until 2023 at this point - are the ships going to be able to recirculate air in the corridors besides the rooms as I read they would be working on air systems?

[masteradept]

Apparently the case has been confirmed (I assume the onboard PCR test results just came in). Pax are currently in their rooms with breakfast being served, next update at 11am local time.

 

I suspect that at a minimum they will hold the pax onboard until World Dream disembarks her guests (her regular cruise is scheduled to arrive at 9am local). Can't imagine the port authorities will want both cruise ships' guests to mix during disembarkation. Also wonder what it means for World Dream's departure later today (fairly sure tomorrow's Quantum will be cancelled).

 

Still really hoping everything goes well. Apparently all close contacts have been tested and no other positives were found. Following along on this thread if anyone else is interested.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/k9ad1p/developing_story_cruise_to_nowhere_quarantined/?sort=new

Edited December 9, 2020 by masteradept
incomplete

[Sail n Snow]

23 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Agree, you can be negative today and positive tomorrow.  We have friends that were exposed and tested negative.  They wanted to go out and eat with us and I had to tell them wait at lest two weeks.

Negative means nothing.

and Singapore has seen this several times with those approved entry from overseers.  First all non citizens and permanent residents need a swab test 72 hours prior to boarding a plane.  Almost every country is considered high risk and a 14 day quarantine is mandatory at a hotel designated by the government. There are then 3 random checks a day to ensure you are in your room with video calls. 3 days prior to end of quarantine is a PCR tickle your brain swab test.

 

Even with these measures in place there have recently been 2 cases of after being let out of quarantine people testing positive.  One was a person leaving the country and having a PCR test due to restrictions in the next country and the 2nd came down with symptoms 4 days after leaving quarantine.  
 

Unfortunately the virus is out there and it’s not going away. With asymptotic spread it’s going to be impossible to prevent.  Taiwan has 0 local cases in 200 days. Singapore got to 14 days.  Even now China cases pop up.  
 

It’s a game of wack a mole.  Contact tracing, social distancing, masks and common sense is what’s needed. 

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

Not surprised! The incubation period of catching covid is between 4 and about 15 days. You stand next to a person infected with covid and not become positive until at least 4 days later.

 

So the negative pre-travel test really do not help as you might catch it on the way to airport and during your journey to the port to board the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always felt that pre testing was pointless. It only creates a false sense of security.

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, yogimax said:

As well they should.

 

COVID-19 is not a joke or fake news meant to destroy the cruise industry.  It is a deadly killer that is still striking at the heart of our country and so many others.

 

Don't blame the media.  In retrospect the cruise industry tried to come back too quickly and will pay the price.  In addition, this mistake will cause our safe return to cruising to be further delayed.

 

 

With this happening on such a short isolated cruise you would think people would open their eyes and stop condemning the CDC claiming that they have it in for the cruise industry. Can you imagine what would happen on a ship out of Florida the way we have been handling the situation? They shut down 9 bars on Long Island today for not following protocol.

[GonzoWCS]

Watching this thread, popcorn popped...

[biff-tannen]

4 hours ago, masteradept said:

Just saw two posts on two separate forums from guests on board that at around 2am local time it was announced that Quantum would be returning to Singapore and guests were asked to remain in their cabins... looks like a positive case on board. Ship tracking also shows the ship returning to port a day early. Hope all goes well... 

 

Egads! 😞 That's not very reassuring, knowing that everyone was tested, and someone then fell ill on board .. guess it's just bad luck that a case had to pop up on board (and with so few community cases islandwide too) 

Edited December 9, 2020 by biff-tannen

[twangster]

 

25 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I always felt that pre testing was pointless. It only creates a false sense of security.

 

Testing alone doesn't solve the problem.  Masks alone don't solve the problem.  Social distancing by itself doesn't solve the problem,  etc. and so on.  They are all parts of a puzzle but without a vaccine the puzzle is only partially complete and that is the problem.

 

Testing does provide insight so health agencies know what is going on.  If there was no testing the situation would be no better and possibly worse as everyone would think they are good until symptoms presented.  

 

We all want this thing to be over but the virus hasn't changed despite how tired we are all.

 

[JT1962]

At this point I do not see cruises being able to resume without this happening on most of them. Until the vaccine is readily available, and all passengers & crew provide proof that they have had it before they are allowed to sail, they need to not attempt any more sailings. This just gives more bad publicity for cruises.

Edited December 9, 2020 by JT1962

[suzyluvs2cruise]

20 minutes ago, biff-tannen said:

 

Egads! 😞 That's not very reassuring, knowing that everyone was tested, and someone then fell ill on board .. guess it's just bad luck that a case had to pop up on board (and with so few community cases islandwide too) 

 

A person could test negative pre-cruise and at boarding but become sick the day after. Testing only shows that you didn't have Covid-19 at the time you were tested. 

[broberts]

4 hours ago, Bobal said:

Oh no. I know we had such hopes for these cruises because of a mutual friend onboard 😔 

 

Sorry about the friend, but there are better odds at the race track.

[LouChamp]

Why did they ever think this would work. And...those that sailed...mindless

[Sail n Snow]

24 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

A person could test negative pre-cruise and at boarding but become sick the day after. Testing only shows that you didn't have Covid-19 at the time you were tested. 

This is not necessarily true either.  The PCR test is only effective if you are shedding enough of the virus. 
 

There is a chance that this is a past infection and the first test was done improperly or was a false negative. 
 

A serological (blood test) can confirm this. 
When Singapore first started cases lots of individuals kept testing positive or would test negative one day (after the initial 14 days) and the next text positive again.  The rule at that time was 2 negative test 1 day apart to be released from quarantine. It took some people 30-45 days before being released. 

 

Singapore has learned a lot and will apply all that knowledge to this incident and cruises will continue when they believe it’s appropriate based on the facts. 
 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-you-need-to-know-about-serology-tests

[Milwaukee Eight]

Sad but inevitable. 

[masteradept]

I saw a post by someone on Instagram (hashtag Quantum of the Seas, sort by recent) that showed the letter the ministry of health sent out to all guests. Basically contacts of the positive case will be identified (time for the TraceTogether system and the Tracelets to do their work!) and isolated. All other guests will NOT be required to quarantine, but will be tested once on disembarkation and one more time in 2 weeks (cost borne by the ministry and organized by RC). I hope this system proves effective so that we don't have an outbreak here, and it validates both the ministry's and RC's procedures.

[biff-tannen]

30 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

A person could test negative pre-cruise and at boarding but become sick the day after. Testing only shows that you didn't have Covid-19 at the time you were tested. 

Yes, that's well understood. However, you have to put this into the singapore context. We have had very low and even no community cases in the past two months. To suddenly have a case slip through the pre-boarding test and pop up on a ship is pretty discouraging (or sheer bad luck). 

[Outerdog]

Too bad nobody could have predicted this.

[bonsai3s]

Stages of grief...add being numb. Following with high interest. Hoping nothing but the best for Singapore and RCCL.

[neverbeenhere]

Another classic case of: Ship Happens! 
 

 

[SeaHunt]

Interview with passenger onboard (notice at about 4:03 he states he was aware of the risks and still will go again):