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pacific dawn quarantined (Merger of all swine flu threads)

thied

By thied,
in P&O Cruises ( Australia )

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Ela 2

Ela 2

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Passengers who disembarked from the Pacific Dawn included two families (neighbours) totalling 13. They flew back home to the Gold Coast last night and all of them fronted up to the Gold Coast hospital for testing. There was an interview on TV with one of the women in the group and she said they waited at Sydney airport for five hours and flew on Virgin Airlines without masks or any other measures to protect other passengers. She and her husband and three others have been confirmed as having swine flu. Those with the flu include a 5 year old and a 7 year old. Having in mind that two five year olds on the ship previously been diagnosed with swine flu, maybe this family group picked up the infection via the 5 year olds.

 

Evon.

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thied

thied

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http://pacificdawn.pocruises.com.au/

 

 

Hi Everyone,

Pacific Dawn is currently sailing up the east coast of Australia on its scheduled 10-night cruise to Queensland.

Unfortunately, Pacific Dawn was delayed in Sydney on Monday after two passengers from a South Pacific cruise tested positive for Swine Flu. All passengers on this cruise had left the ship before any passenger had embarked on our current cruise.

We also took the initiative of disembarking an additional 14 members of crew that displayed flu-like symptoms prior to our departure from Sydney.

I would like to thank our passengers for their patience as we worked closely with health officials to ensure the ship sailed at 10.30pm with full approval from authorities.

P&O Cruises takes the health and wellbeing of our passengers and crew very seriously, and we are taking a range of extra precautions during this cruise.

For example:

• Anyone feeling ill should report to the medical centre. Any passengers reporting flu-like symptoms will be treated free-of-charge

• We conduct routine and rigorous cleaning and santisation to minimise the spread of contagious diseases.

• All crew members have been provided with Tamiflu as a preventative treatment.

Pacific Dawn is expected to arrive on schedule into the Whitsundays on Thursday.

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thied

thied

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Just a thought : i have been looking and wondering about why we havnt heard about any out brakes of swine flu in new caledonia, vanuatu, fiji, loyalty islands or any of the islands that we all go to over in that part of the world.

I wonder what the cruise lines would do if an out brake did happen over there at new caledonia, vanuatu, fiji, loyalty islands ? your thoughts

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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Just a thought : i have been looking and wondering about why we havnt heard about any out brakes of swine flu in new caledonia, vanuatu, fiji, loyalty islands or any of the islands that we all go to over in that part of the world.

 

I'd say they haven't had any yet. We have only just started getting them significantly in the past few days, and there is a lot more international traffic to and from here to affected areas than there is to to those destinations.

 

I wonder what the cruise lines would do if an out brake did happen over there at new caledonia, vanuatu, fiji, loyalty islands ? your thoughts

 

They would drop that port(s), in the same way that Mexican ports were dropped immediately. Unless there was no risk to the passengers and crew on board, they would not want to increase their risk by stopping there.

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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I'm surprised they sailed so soon after even though there had been carriers onboard, which means that it has not been quarantined, and that they didn't distribute medical materials to passengers leaving as the Health department was requesting.

 

I found Ann Sherry's response to the criticisms inadequate.

 

"P and O chief executive Ann Sherry says she is confident proper procedures have been followed.

"At the moment we've got a new set of passengers on a ship, we haven't been anywhere where there's swine flu," she said.

"We're not going to locations where there's swine flu."

 

The fact they managed to deliver 4 infected people by going to places on the first cruise that hadn't been where there is swine flu clearly renders her arguments above meaningless.

 

To that risk, they've now added other people exposed to the virus who have not passed quarantine. Further, she has not been able to make any statement about what cleaning processes have been used given they have now had an outbreak.

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thied

thied

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p&O,s blog

 

http://pacificdawn.pocruises.com.au/

 

 

Hi Everyone,

Pacific Dawn is currently sailing up the east coast of Australia on its scheduled 10-night cruise to Queensland.

Unfortunately, Pacific Dawn was delayed in Sydney on Monday after two passengers from a South Pacific cruise tested positive for Swine Flu. All passengers on this cruise had left the ship before any passenger had embarked on our current cruise.

We also took the initiative of disembarking an additional 14 members of crew that displayed flu-like symptoms prior to our departure from Sydney.

I would like to thank our passengers for their patience as we worked closely with health officials to ensure the ship sailed at 10.30pm with full approval from authorities.

P&O Cruises takes the health and wellbeing of our passengers and crew very seriously, and we are taking a range of extra precautions during this cruise.

For example:

• Anyone feeling ill should report to the medical centre. Any passengers reporting flu-like symptoms will be treated free-of-charge

• We conduct routine and rigorous cleaning and santisation to minimise the spread of contagious diseases.

• All crew members have been provided with Tamiflu as a preventative treatment.

Pacific Dawn is expected to arrive on schedule into the Whitsundays on Thursday.

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thied

thied

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I'm surprised they sailed so soon after even though there had been carriers onboard, which means that it has not been quarantined, and that they didn't distribute medical materials to passengers leaving as the Health department was requesting.

 

I found Ann Sherry's response to the criticisms inadequate.

 

"P and O chief executive Ann Sherry says she is confident proper procedures have been followed.

"At the moment we've got a new set of passengers on a ship, we haven't been anywhere where there's swine flu," she said.

"We're not going to locations where there's swine flu."

 

The fact they managed to deliver 4 infected people by going to places on the first cruise that hadn't been where there is swine flu clearly renders her arguments above meaningless.

 

To that risk, they've now added other people exposed to the virus who have not passed quarantine. Further, she has not been able to make any statement about what cleaning processes have been used given they have now had an outbreak.

 

yes i gess we have to wait and see what happens to the current massengers on the cruise to see if any one get sick.

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Ela 2

Ela 2

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Someone (passenger or crew) would have been infected with the swine flu virus when they boarded the Pacific Dawn. The virus has then infected other passengers. Health authorities would have checked the health of the crew and it has been announced that several crew members who had flu-like systems left the ship. The rest of the crew have been given Tawmiflu. Unless a 'new' passenger is carrying the virus, this current cruise could be OK. I hope so.

 

This whole episode is very disruptive to people's holidays, a lot of work for health authorities and a lot of trouble and expense for P & O. I have the impression that everyone including the Health Department, P & O and local hospitals are doing their best to cope, but things haven't run as well as they might have. Although the authorities would have plans in place to handle an epidemic, it looks as if managing a real one is proving not so easy. :):)

 

Evon.

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Ela 2

Ela 2

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I'm surprised they sailed so soon after even though there had been carriers onboard, which means that it has not been quarantined, and that they didn't distribute medical materials to passengers leaving as the Health department was requesting.

The Health Department has stated they assumed the passengers had a normal seasonal flu and it is clear that they didn't take the issue with the Pacific Dawn seriously until some of those who disembarked tested positive to swine flu. I doubt that the Health Dept requested that P & O should distribute medical supplies to the disembarking passengers. :)

 

It was only after some passengers were confirmed as having swine flu that the Health Dept asked all 2000 pax to quarantine themselves at home and they announced that a health pack would be delivered to them. This contains a mask, anti-bacterial gel and advice on the symptoms of swine flu. I would think that this pack should have been given to them by the Health Dept when they disembarked from the ship. It was not up to P & O to do this. The Health Dept is managing events and it would have the supplies readily available.

 

Evon.

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blondtress

blondtress

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I came off our honeymoon cruise on 16 May with the flu, started getting sick around the second last day and went to 2 doctors straight away on Sunday and Monday and neither of them tested me for swine flu. I stayed home from work until the Wednesday. We were sitting with different people every night for dinner on the cruise and a lot of them had been sick during the cruise but all had been tested by the ship's doctor just in case. The ship is also very careful with food handling, everyone must use the antibacterial alcohol gel before getting into any of the restaurants. If I did have swine flu I am all better now.

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thied

thied

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i would say if you live in brisbane you can go down and have you say to the media and reported will all over the place at port side today so if you would to ask or have your say to these reporters and live in brisbane , on how the health dept, P&O, doctors are doing it wrong, some people think there doing it wrong.

 

 

 

i think P&O and princess would be boing every thing they can to contain it , because if they didnt i wonder what may happen , may be the fed health dept may ground there ships in oz port its only a thought on what could happen if they dont do as much as they can to contain it.

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qld cruiser

qld cruiser

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i cruisers, if the health department has set up heat detecting machines at airports, why hasn't any been set up at wharf 8 darling harbour. ??

or the overseas cruise terminal when needed.

they could use it for passengers disembarking, then again when the new lot are embarking.

 

just my thoughts.

kind regards, Lorraine:):)

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Guest012

Guest012

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Exactly Lorraine........ i would like to know if they are being used for flights departing as well....it never fails to amaze me the amount of visibly ill pax who board planes....we had a couple on a Hnl flight a couple of years ago who both had the flu....coughing and spluttering.... i actually asked them why they didn't delay their travel ......answer they didn't want to spoil THEIR holiday.... i said WHAT ABOUT MINE.....:eek::eek: ......shiona

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icemaiden2310

icemaiden2310

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THOUSANDS of Australians preparing to go overseas will not be covered for medical and other expenses if they contract swine flu, according to several leading insurers

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25544075-662,00.html

 

 

This is an excellent example of media hype that throws panic into the community.

 

I received an email from my travel insurer this morning after I queried the story above and my reply was

 

 

You are covered medically, you are not covered to cancel the trip due to this reason.

That is the only thing that is NOT covered ...cancelling because of the fear of getting it.

If you are insured by a reputable insurer check with them and you may be pleasntly surprised

Just goes to prove Dont believe everything you read and hear in the media.

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