Two emergency medical evacuations have taken place on Maersk and Vitol ships in Spain and the Philippines.
Spanish authorities said they took a cook off the 8,850-teu container vessel Maersk Lamanai (built 2008) on Wednesday off Algeciras after he showed symptoms of coronavirus.
The vessel had earlier warned that the 38-year-old Filipino was feeling unwell.
A boat went out to the ship four miles off Getares beach and transferred the man to the port.
An ambulance then took him to hospital.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in the Philippines has expressed its gratitude to the government for treating an ill Russian master.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the embassy said Alexander Solodyannikov of the 9,200-dwt tanker Asphalt Transporter (built 2008) had suffered from an unknown respiratory syndrome while on board.
"The ship's doctor could not help him and amid the Covid-19 scare, no country would allow him to enter to be admitted to a hospital," it said.
"The government of the Philippines responded to the embassy's request very quickly despite the lockdown and the quarantine measures, and allowed the captain to be taken off the ship to a medical centre in Metro Manila," it added.
"On behalf of his family and ourselves we thank our dear friends from the Philippines for helping us save a life!" it said.
"Things were not looking good for some time, but now Captain Solodyannikov is safe."
The ship is owned by Vitol unit Valt.
