A Dutch tanker has suffered a coronavirus outbreak among mainly vaccinated crew members, while three seafarers have been taken to hospital from a bulker in Brazil.
Twelve of 15 personnel on Vroon's 9,200-dwt bitumen carrier Iver Ambition (built 2009) have tested positive for Covid-19 in Conception Bay, Canada.
But the seafarers are experiencing mild symptoms, the shipowner said.
The vessel is in quarantine, according to Canadian authorities.
The Newfoundland and Labrador province department of health said testing on board has been completed and all 15 crew members are isolating on the tanker.
"There is no risk to the community. The ship and crew are following public health orders as directed by the Public Health Agency of Canada," the department added in a statement.
The vessel had arrived from the Netherlands, with crew members becoming ill a few days out from Canada.
"The crew is doing well and only have very minor symptoms but we monitor them closely," Vroon told CBC News.
Tested and vaccinated
All seafarers were PCR tested prior to boarding, and the majority of the crew has been vaccinated, the company added.
It is not clear when the jabs were administered, but Vroon said symptoms are expected to remain minor.
Vroon told TradeWinds on Wednesday that the crew members were still showing typical symptoms in a mild form.
"Situation is closely supported via radio medical advice, including measuring of temperature and oxygen saturation," the company added.
In Brazil, three crew members have been taken to hospital with Covid-19 from the 30,900-dwt bulker Shoveler (built 2009).
The Folha de Pernambuco newspaper reported that nine of the 19 people on the Canadian Forest Navigation (Canfornav) ship had tested positive at Recife.
Tests are being carried out to determine the nature of the variant.
The vessel has been docked at the port since 30 June. Quarantine began on 6 July after the positive results were confirmed.
Taken to hospital
One crew member was taken to a private health unit in Recife on 1 July. Tests were then carried out on board and two more seafarers were hospitalised.
The ship's crew is from the Philippines.
Canfornav has been contacted for updates.
Variants such as the Delta strain are proving much more transmissible than earlier iterations of the virus.
The Vroon case shows how serious symptoms may be prevented through vaccinations, but outbreaks will still cause havoc to shipping schedules.
At the end of June, five crew members were taken to hospital from a Norden-operated bulker in France with severe Covid-19 symptoms.
French media said the 63,000-dwt Nord Sunda (built 2019) diverted to Le Havre on 30 June.
