Table Of Content
- Nearly 30 Silversea cruise passengers get sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak
- Norovirus Cruise Ship Outbreaks Already Reach 10-Year High In 2023
- Have Cruises Recovered from the Pandemic?
- Four days, five unrelated stabbing attacks: Sydney's horror week puts spotlight on knife crime
- Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships
- What’s the state of the cruise industry today?
From personal experience, food tongs are handled by multiple people, some of whom may not have cleaned their hands. She said during outbreaks of illness, all staff including performers were required to help with sanitisation and cleaning roles. In a statement from its Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), the department said these viral infections could be serious, particularly for people who were at higher risk of severe illness. The Silver Nova, the cruise company's newest liner introduced in 2023, boasts butler service for each suite and a ratio of one crew member for every 1.3 guests. It comes amid a new Covid wave in Australia, with 2,493 cases confirmed in South Australia on Friday following 1,700 confirmed cases the previous week.
Nearly 30 Silversea cruise passengers get sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak
There were already three outbreaks by February 3 of this year, seven that crossed the month of March, and two in May. June had one as well, affected a Viking Cruises ship that traveled from June 6 to June 20. This outbreak left 110 of 838 (13.1%) passengers and nine of 455 (1.98%) crew members sick in a bad way.
Norovirus Cruise Ship Outbreaks Already Reach 10-Year High In 2023
But travelers worried about getting sick aboard a cruise ship can rest assured that cruise lines aren’t sailing solo in the continuing pandemic. It’ll still publish guidelines so cruise ships can provide a safe environment for passengers and crew members. Most recently, a norovirus outbreak in June on the Viking Neptune sickened 110 passengers (over 13% of the ship's guests) and nine crew members with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, according to the CDC.
Have Cruises Recovered from the Pandemic?
Another company that just announced a change in testing requirements is upmarket cruise line Azamara. Effective July 25, 2022, it will no longer require pre-cruise testing, except in ports where the country requires it. “The easing of our testing policy marks a step in the right direction toward a return to normalcy for the travel and cruising industry,” Carol Cabezas, the president of Azamara, said in a statement. Travelers are urged to check their cruise ship's COVID case levels and vaccination requirements online before traveling, the agency says.
It only takes a small number of virus particles for norovirus to spread, which is why norovirus causes so many explosive outbreaks, Ko previously told TODAY.com. Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread directly through sick people and contaminated surfaces, food, or drinks. Those who became ill were more likely than those who did not to think that hand hygiene and isolation were not effective in preventing infection transmission, and were less likely to wash their hands after using the toilet. Given fecal contamination is a major source of norovirus transmission, this is concerning.
Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships
Health authorities say a dual outbreak of COVID-19 and gastroenteritis onboard a cruise liner is now over after it docked in Adelaide with only a handful of sick passengers. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic had, however, brought some positive changes to cruise ship health protocols, including better ventilation. However, Professor Bennett said risks were not confined to cruise ships, but can affect any settings where people mingle in close quarters. "I do think cruise ships are safer now than they were before the pandemic, and I hope the same is true for other dense population holiday areas." The New York Post reported that the Silversea outbreak was the fourth this year, including one that saw 130 people struck with diarrhea and vomiting and another that saw 104 passengers fall ill on a Holland America liner.
First, what causes these outbreaks?
Historically, troop transport ships also helped to spread the lethal 1918 flu virus between continents. "[Outbreaks] are about as common as they are everywhere in the world on land, it's just that they tend to get reported more on ships," she said. Princess Cruises' website states that the safety of passengers is the company's top priority. Authorities say there were five cases of gastro on board the ship when it arrived in Adelaide this morning, and eight cases of "COVID-like infection". Chair in epidemiology at Deakin University Professor Catherine Bennett says cruising is like any other form of holiday, and people should think about the specific risks and what they could do to stay well. Epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett says there are many steps holiday-goers can take to minimise the risk of illness during their time off.
What happens when you test positive for Covid on a cruise ship in 2023? Family shares their experience - Royal Caribbean Blog
What happens when you test positive for Covid on a cruise ship in 2023? Family shares their experience.
Posted: Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
People are vacationing again on cruise ships following a COVID-19 decline
Princess Cruises said there was no current double outbreak on the ship, which had a capacity for 2,600 passengers and 1,150 crew members and was on a four day round trip from Adelaide to Melbourne. A spokesperson said the number of unwell guests with symptoms was in the “single digits”. VSP may also post information on gastrointestinal illness outbreaks of public health significance that do not necessarily meet the above criteria.
What’s the state of the cruise industry today?
The CDC has tracked outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships through its Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) since 1994. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023. The last time the industry's yearly gastrointestinal illness outbreak total was that high was back in 2016 — and it's only July. More than 90% of cruise ship gastro outbreaks are caused by norovirus, which is spread from person to person, and through contaminated objects or contaminated food or water. The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) requires cruise ships to log and report the number of passengers and crew who say they have symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.
"The ship docked in Melbourne on Saturday to undergo a clean, with all passengers off while this was undertaken," SA Health said. SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said there were five cases of gastro on board the ship when it arrived, and eight cases of "COVID-like infection". The cruise operator said there is no current "dual outbreak" of illness on the ship. An MSC Cruises representative told Insider at the time that the cruise line had launched an internal investigation based on the inspector's concerns and taken immediate corrective actions. “Since returning to service a year ago, we have seen record guest satisfaction scores.
Passengers who experience norovirus symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea should notify staff and follow recommended precautions, per the CDC. Because individual cruise lines determine their ships’ COVID-19-related requirements, your likelihood of catching coronavirus while at sea will depend on the specific ship’s guidelines and restrictions. Generally speaking, going on a cruise does pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission.
News of the CDC's decision to remove its travel health notice was praised by the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's largest trade organization. On Friday, SA Health reported a total of 2,493 COVID-19 cases for the previous week — 793 cases more than the previous reporting period. "Speaking to other guests, it was quite common that the person they were travelling with was confined, or just come out of confinement, or sick," Ms Monk said.
Carnival Was Negligent in Covid Outbreak on Cruise Ship, Court Rules - The New York Times
Carnival Was Negligent in Covid Outbreak on Cruise Ship, Court Rules.
Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
"Some guests have disembarked in Adelaide today after completing their holiday." In a statement the ship's operator Princess Cruises said the Grand Princess arrived in Outer Harbour in Adelaide's north-western suburbs Monday morning on day two of a four-day round trip from Melbourne.
At least 28 passengers and one crew member among the Silver Nova's 633 passengers fell ill during their 16-day Easter-themed cruise that set sail in Callao, Peru, the agency said. Anne, who cancelled her cruise trip due to injuries, told ABC Radio Adelaide her friends have been sick with both COVID-19 and norovirus on board the Grand Princess, and have been quarantined in their cabins for most of their holiday. Most vessels have received scores in the high 90s — only one cruise ship, the MSC Seaside, has failed the CDC's sanitation inspection so far this year. The vessel received an unusually low score of 67, nearly 20 points below the agency's passing grade.
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