MS Braemar (file photo)
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED HERE
4.20pm UPDATE: The Ministry of Transport has released the following statement on the Braemar cruise ship:
“The Braemar cruise ship carrying five persons who have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus will not be permitted to dock in The Bahamas and passengers and crew will not be allowed to disembark. This decision is based on consideration for the protection of the health and safety of the Bahamian people and residents of The Bahamas. The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has been in constant communication with the owners of the Braemer, which is a Bahamas-flagged ship. The BMA has reaffirmed to the Braemar that should it arrive in Bahamian waters, The Bahamas will do all that it can to provide humanitarian assistance. This may include providing fuel, food, water and other supplies as needed by the vessel. The BMA continues to monitor the well-being of passengers and crew with updates at regular intervals. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people who have contracted the coronavirus and who are at immediate risk.”
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A FRED Olsen cruise line ship is headed to The Bahamas, its flag state, after five people on board tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Tribune understands Bahamas Maritime Association president Denise Lewis-Johnson was summoned Wednesday for an emergency meeting with government to discuss the matter.
It is not clear how authorities will respond to the ship's arrival or what the protocol is.
In a statement released internationally, the cruise line announced changes to the MS Braemar cruise ship itinerary after confirming five cases of the COVID-19 related to four crew members and one passenger.
"The ship, which was due to end today – Thursday – its cruise through the 'Western Caribbean and Central America' in Barbados, changed course after a cautious response from local authorities, and is now heading for the Bahamas (its flag state)," it said.
"We are currently working with The Bahamas, the UK government, the UK Chamber of Transport and Public Heath England to ensure that all guests can return home as soon as possible."
The Tribune is reaching out to officials for comment on this developing story.
Comments
TalRussell 4 years, 1 month ago
Flying the flag Colony, the MS Braemar 929 passenger capacity cruise ship's confirming cases of the COVID-19 has now become the reality test case we Colony's comrade bouncing ball substantive health minister to sprungs into action since his projection no more than 400, now less 5 = 395 confirmed cases the deadly coronovirus ... and this is just the first hour on the other side of crown minister's making his most irresponsible projection?
joeblow 4 years, 1 month ago
The actions of the government speaks far louder than their empty words! While people are focused on this cruise ship, what about all the spring breakers making their way around Nassau from various parts of the USA? What about flights coming from Florida almost hourly and what about flights coming from Canada, the UK and other parts of Europe? From a purely statistical standpoint, that virus is already here!!
Bahamians have a short memory, but I hope they remember what their government(s) think of them based on their uncaring and shady actions!!
Sands should be asked to resign!!
observer2 4 years, 1 month ago
Hmmm? I guess because this is a Bahamian ship and we have taken registration fees from them for decades we are obligated to help them when they are in distress.
This is the problem with the offshore flags of convenience. We have zero capacity to help.
This ship didn't even start off in the Florida.
27 Feb Departing from La Romana, Dominican Republic hotels 28 Feb Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 02 Mar Cozumel, Mexico 03 Mar Belize City 06 Mar Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 07 Mar Colon, Panama 08 Mar Cartagena, Colombia 10 Mar Willemstad, Curacao Island, Dutch Antilles 12 Mar Arriving in Bridgetown, Barbados
BahamaPundit 4 years, 1 month ago
This argument doesn't hold up. Tens of tousands of foreign owned and operating IBC companies have been registered in The Bahamas. This doesn't mean that The Bahamas is responsible for their actions or what happens under their watch. These IBC companies, like this cruiseship, don't have a Bahamian business license or the right to carry on business in The Bahamas. What is more, they aren't owned by Bahamians or have any connection to Bahamian citizenship and the rights related to citizenship.
John 4 years, 1 month ago
Barbados refused to allow the ship to enter its port so it is now headed to The Bahamas. Cabinet had a meeting and, apparently, they agreed to allow the ship to come here. Curacao is now reporting confirmed cases of the virus after this ship left the port.
themessenger 4 years, 1 month ago
Bahamian flagged or not, this ship can still be quarantined.
As joeblow points out, with all the air arrivals from various parts of the world and all the spring breakers roaming around that horse done out the barn long time.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 1 month ago
Just send the ship to one of the Plana Cays to "self-quarantine" ……….. no harm, no foul
realitycheck242 4 years, 1 month ago
San Salvador (Bahamas) has an airstrip that's was built by the united states and was used as an Air force base. It can accommodate any size transport aircraft in the world. Let the British government in conjunction with the ship owner charter transport planes to evacuate the passengers back to England as the ship remains off shore San Salvador using the best quarantine methods and safety proceedures to get the passengers from the Ship to the planes and with no contact with the residence of San Salvador.. This method can be used for any ship that calls here and need emergency assistance with evacuation. This can set the Bahamas apart as an example what can be done as this crises expands.
TalRussell 4 years, 1 month ago
Oh me sweet Jesus, can you please have mercy on the wretched soul we comrade Reality. Yep, would be sure to set Colony apart from the rest an intelligent world by becoming a last port of call for those infected with any one the world's many different viruses? Can't write this. Just, can't that many a comrade were sent to spend an eternity in Hell for thinking up far worse crasiness's. Amen!
SP 4 years, 1 month ago
U.S. spring break students, European tourists everywhere, and now this infected cruise ship being allowed to land here is the beginning of the end for the Bahamas!
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 1 month ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Porcupine 4 years, 1 month ago
mudda, generally comments that are deleted are true, though harsh. Maybe try pig Latin.
SP 4 years, 1 month ago
The Bahamas do not need to expose ourselves to this or any cruise ships, Europeans, and should include Americans until they get a handle of how severe Covid19 is in the U.S.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 1 month ago
Soooooooo, how will The Bahamas pay its bills??????
RealTalk 4 years, 1 month ago
The same way the people who land here and are allowed to live and stay. WE WONT!
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 1 month ago
I'M SURE THE MANY BAHAMIANS WHO WILL DIE UPON BEING INFECTED BY COVID-19 ARE NOT THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED ABOUT WHO WILL PAY WHAT BILLS !!!!!!
Rodeoman 4 years, 1 month ago
There are many infected already in Nassau, it is a matter of time that they will become public, we will be the only ones saving ourself, be responsible, stay at home, not to go to public places (restaurants, churches, gyms...), not interact with friends, etc... at least for a month, if not the hospitals will collapse as it is happening in italy, France, spain... and many of us, the weakest will die.
TalRussell 4 years, 1 month ago
Noticeably absent post Hurricane Dorian is a single economic report coming out the Abaco's and Grand Bahamaland - pertaining to the Numbers Sellers? Are they Chamber of Commerce members?
empathy 4 years, 1 month ago
Allowing the cruise ship to enter Bahamian waters and offering aid posses no health risk to residents in the Bahamas. On the contrary this humanitarian act is what being Bahamian is all about...those of us who grew up here should well understand this truly Bahamian trait.
Testing and knowledge of positive cases and overall numbers is good information and allows our authorities’ actions to be guided by scientific evidence. As another commentator stated regarding our lack of definitive information about untested air arrival visitors who are already amongst us, at least with these known cases we can adjust our behavior accordingly...let’s be sensible and strategic And empathetic.
TalRussell 4 years, 1 month ago
Ma comrade, I swear before and to you that yes there are sill beds available to intake you as a ward patient - and, yes,- all the Sandilands Doctor prescribed medications are free of cost to you.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 1 month ago
Governments are not elected to potentially sacrifice the lives of a large swath of the most vulnerable of a country's citizenry for humantarian or empathetic reasons. Even in a time of declared war with another nation, against an enemy more easily seen, it's not a large swath of a country's citizenry age 60+ who get sent to the active war zone.
BahamaPundit 4 years, 1 month ago
This was such a no brainer.
TalRussell 4 years, 1 month ago
Is there no protocol in place for all ships to first declare their intent and cargo - prior to entering into Colony's waters?
bogart 4 years, 1 month ago
Sometime around 1954 to 1957 the British under Operation Ozone according to Tribune article Insight on British secret biological warfare experiments was conducted on island some 60 miles south of Nassau.
Somewhere in this new COVID - 19 Govt should enlist all nations and offer an isolated Cay and have World Medical Centre with scientists, researchers to work. There are many other illnesses needing cures. Many researched materials using bad gene replacing good ones attached to hiv minus its harmfull effect to penetrate ill person for confirmed cure. There are many good uses to have the Bahamas in the forefront as a world leading Medical Centre.
concerned799 4 years, 1 month ago
Cruise ships recycle air so 1 person infected can infect others so easily!
They are a floating trap for persons to infect other persons as everyone is so close anyway.
We should have closed all of our waters to all cruise ships and sadly we and the rest of the world is just learning what a horrible invention the cruise industry is.
Lets take a viable land based hotel industry and offshore it to foreign workers and companies that pay no tax and have no connection to the Bahamas thru the cruise industry? Great idea right?! LOL
Like trading $100 for $7.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 1 month ago
You've driven the stake right where it belongs my friend - right in the heart of the cruise ship companies which have always been nothing but blood sucking vampires on tourist destinations like the Bahamas.
For the last four decades or so these vampires have been growing in size to the point where they are now extremely over-sized floating hotels that cannot possibly be kept clean and have therefore become dangerous breeding grounds for all kinds of pathogens harmful to mankind. These monstrous floating vampires have quite literally sucked the life blood out of our economy. They have a business model that aggressively seeks to keep all profits of any kind for themselves by destroying all economic linkages to our local economy. The all-inclusive onshore resorts like Sandals seek to emulate their 'take-all, leave nothing' business model.
And now the cruise ship companies are seeking to compliment their very greedy business model by directly competing with the beach experience that was previously the domain of the more upscale onshore hotel properties. This should not be allowed by our government as a matter of economic policy. Accordingly under no circumstance should Royal Caribbean or any other cruise ship company be allowed to acquire large beach front parcels of Crown Land on any of our major inhabited islands, including the western end of Paradise Island.
John 4 years, 1 month ago
The Spanish flu killed 50 million in 1918 and most of the victims were in their 29’s, 39’s and 40’s
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 1 month ago
And that's largely because containment, isolation and mitigation measures were not adhered to during a time of war, not to mention many other key factors very different back then from what they are now. Grant you the human race is much more mobile today, but it is also much better equipped, even from a global communications standpoint, to be more responsive to pandemic pathogens.
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