Two crew from a Hapag-Lloyd boxship have tested positive for Covid-19 in South Africa.
The German company said the tests were carried out during normal operations on the 2,824-teu Montpellier (built 2006) at Durban.
"As a safety measure, the local authorities have ordered the vessel must remain at anchorage for 14 days, and has further directed that no cargo operations can be undertaken at this time," it added.
The vessel is deployed on its Middle East India Africa Express (MIAX) service.
Berthing at Durban and subsequent ports will be adjusted accordingly.
"We regret the inconvenience caused by this incident which remains beyond our control and is being directed by the authorities," it added.
"Please join us in wishing the crew onboard all the best for the days to come and a speedy recovery for the crew members affected,"
Shipping in general appears to have been remarkably successful in keeping Covid-19 off vessels, with few confirmed cases reported.
Hapag-Lloyd saw profit slide in the first quarter as it spoke of uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
The Hamburg-based liner operator said group earnings were down at €25m ($27m), from €96m in the previous corresponding period.
The drop was blamed on higher bunker prices after the introduction of IMO 2020 rules at the start of the year.
