An outbreak of Covid-19 has spread further on a Greek-owned passenger ship carrying hundreds of quarantined seafarers and shiprepair workers on board.
Another twenty out of a total of 383 people on ANEK Lines’ 38,300-gt El. Venizelos (built 1992) have tested positive for the disease, Greek health ministry officials said on 1 April.
That is twice the number of cases authorities announced on 31 March, when they first reported the case. The count may rise even further as test results keep coming in.
The vessel was chartered last month to transport shiprepair workers from Turkey to Spain and host them there.
TradeWinds understands that Turkey’s Miray International is the charterer. The company, which has not returned e-mails for comment, is known to be chartering ships that serve as floating hotels for workers performing ship repairs and conversions in Cadiz, Spain.
The El. Venizelos left the Turkish port of Cesme on 7 March, Greek authorities said on Wednesday. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, stopped its trip short.
As Turkish authorities refused to receive the vessel back, Greek authorities allowed it to berth at Piraeus anchorage for re-provisioning on March 23.
Greek civil protection officials were just about to finalize repatriation plans for those stranded on El. Venizelos when the first case of coronavirus among its occupants was officially confirmed on 29 March: a 73-year-old Swiss crew member who is since being hospitalized near Athens.
A further 40 people have tested positive so far and more test results are expected to come in later this week. Crew and workers were ordered to stay on board, isolate as much as possible and take precautions to stop the virus from spreading further.
The vast majority of the ship's occupants are believed to be of Turkish, Ukrainian and Indonesian origin. Coastguards confirm the presence of 33 Greeks on board.
TradeWinds is told there is no problem with provisioning the ship. Its local agent has supplied it with fresh water.
Spokespersons at ANEK were not available for comment at the time of writing. The company usually operates the El. Venizelos on Greek domestic ferry routes.
