Crew members of Maersk boxship test positive for Covid-19

Five crew members of a Maersk owned and operated containership docked in Ningbo, China, have tested positive for coronavirus.

Maersk spokesperson told our publication that the tests from a total of seven seafarers evacuated from the ship last week came in yesterday, March 30.

To remind, the seafarers on board the Danish-flagged containership Gjertrud Maersk were taken to a hospital for treatment on March 26 after experiencing symptoms linked to Covid-19.

The seafarers started showing symptoms three days earlier and were immediately isolated on the vessel.

“One of the seafarers has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and four seafarers are asymptomatic infected individuals. The other two are tested negative. The hospitalized seafarers are all in stable conditions,” the spokesperson said citing a report from local authorities.

The 9,074 TEU vessel was awaiting phasing into the company’s network before some of its crew got sick. The ship is currently idle at the quayside in Ningbo, China.

Maersk said that extra precaution measures would be taken for crew replacement, adding that the vessel will be sanitized.