A Greek bulker has been quarantined in Crete after a crewman was found dead in his cabin, while 10 others later tested positive for Covid-19.
The seafarer was discovered on the 182,000-dwt Heroic (built 2010), owned by CM Lemos company Nereus Shipping, Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard said.
The ship arrived at Kaloi Limenes on Sunday morning, having travelled from Port Said in Egypt.
"A sailor was found dead in his cabin by the captain, probably due to the epidemic, and one of the mechanics, infected with Covid-19, was hospitalised in Rhodes," said a coastguard press officer.
Greek media reported that the man in hospital was a 59-year-old chief engineer, who was airlifted from the vessel before it docked in Crete.
The vessel has 21 crew members on board: 13 Filipinos and eight Greeks.
The bulker was in ballast and heading to Colombia.
Potential fourth Covid-19 fatality
Reports said several crew members had reported health problems while underway in the Mediterranean.
If Covid-19 is confirmed as cause of death, this would be the fourth fatality on board a vessel worldwide.
Nereus Shipping told TradeWinds: "Out of respect for the next of kin, personal data regulations and the ongoing investigation by the Greek authorities, no comment can be made at this time on the circumstances of the sad loss of the crew member of the Heroic or the health of the rest of the crew."
The company added that the owners and managers are working closely with the Greek authorities to ensure the safety of the crew on board.
Brazilian deaths emerge
TradeWinds reported on Monday that two seafarers have died and another is in hospital as Brazil's dire Covid-19 emergency spread to three vessels.
Brazil's health agency Anvisa said a 63-year-old Filipino crew member was taken to hospital from the 82,000-dwt Vita Future (built 2015) in Santos, Sao Paulo state, on 5 April.
He died on 12 April and had tested positive for Covid-19.
And an engineer died in March, shortly after disembarking from the 2,700-teu boxship Log-In Polaris (built 2019) in Macapa, Amapa state.
Joao Clementino Costa Jr had been with operator Log-In Logistica Intermodal since 2019.
These were only the second and third known coronavirus deaths reported on ships, following the loss of a master on a CSL Group bulker, the 11,500-dwt Tertnes (built 1985), off Norway in March.
The deaths serve as a reminder that real danger still exists for seafarers, as the industry grapples with the question of how to provide vaccines to crews.
